Diet and Exercise Interventions Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Review and Call to Action

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been used for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) for approximately 50 years, and has been performed on millions of people globally. However, little is known about the impact of diet and exercise on long-term outcomes of patients who have undergone CABG surgery. Although clinical practice guidelines on the management of this patient population have been available for approximately 2 decades, evidence regarding secondary prevention behavioral interventions, lifestyle modifications and self-management to slow the progressive decline of CAD, reduce cardiac hospitalizations, and prevent reoperation remains virtually absent from the literature. Diet and exercise are modifiable factors that affect secondary CAD risk. This article reviews the relevant current literature on long-term diet and exercise outcomes in patients who underwent CABG. The limited available literature shows the positive impacts of exercise on psychosocial well-being and physical fitness. Current evidence indicates diet and exercise interventions are effective in the short-term, but effects fade over time. Potential age and sex differences were found across the reviewed studies; however, further research is needed with more rigorous designs to replicate and confirm findings, and to define optimal management regimens and cost-effective prevention strategies.