{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T01:51:44Z","timestamp":1789523504114,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,2]],"date-time":"2021-02-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1612224000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>We examined the safety and the effects of low-intensity resistance training (RT) with moderate blood flow restriction (KAATSU RT) on muscle strength and size in patients early after cardiac surgery. Cardiac patients (age 69.6 \u00b1 12.6 years, n = 21, M = 18) were randomly assigned to the control (n = 10) and the KAATSU RT group (n = 11). All patients had received a standard aerobic cardiac rehabilitation program. The KAATSU RT group additionally executed low-intensity leg extension and leg press exercises with moderate blood flow restriction twice a week for 3 months. RT-intensity and volume were increased gradually. We evaluated the anterior mid-thigh thickness (MTH), skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), handgrip strength, knee extensor strength, and walking speed at baseline, 5\u20137 days after cardiac surgery, and after 3 months. A physician monitored the electrocardiogram, rate of perceived exertion, and the color of the lower limbs during KAATSU RT. Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and D-dimer were measured at baseline and after 3 months. There were no side effects during KAATSU RT. CPK and D-dimer were normal after 3 months. MTH, SMI, walking speed, and knee extensor strength increased after 3 months with KAATSU RT compared with baseline. Relatively low vs. high physical functioning patients tended to increase physical function more after 3 months with KAATSU RT. Low-intensity KAATSU RT as an adjuvant to standard cardiac rehabilitation can safely increase skeletal muscle strength and size in cardiovascular surgery patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10030547","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,2]],"date-time":"2021-02-02T13:01:12Z","timestamp":1612270872000},"page":"547","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":33,"title":["Low-Intensity Resistance Training with Moderate Blood Flow Restriction Appears Safe and Increases Skeletal Muscle Strength and Size in Cardiovascular Surgery Patients: A Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Hironaga","family":"Ogawa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9545-7529","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Toshiaki","family":"Nakajima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Medical KAATSU Training, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ikuko","family":"Shibasaki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Takahisa","family":"Nasuno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hiroyuki","family":"Kaneda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Satoshi","family":"Katayanagi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Dokkyo Medical University Hospital, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hayato","family":"Ishizaka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Dokkyo Medical University Hospital, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuta","family":"Mizushima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Dokkyo Medical University Hospital, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Azusa","family":"Uematsu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health and Sport Sciences, Premedical Sciences, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8526-5486","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tomohiro","family":"Yasuda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Seirei Christopher University, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 433-8558, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hiroshi","family":"Yagi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8260-833X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shigeru","family":"Toyoda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tibor","family":"Hortob\u00e1gyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Takashi","family":"Mizushima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Dokkyo Medical University Hospital, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Teruo","family":"Inoue","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7585-0945","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hirotsugu","family":"Fukuda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-017-17814-z","article-title":"Short physical performance battery for cardiovascular disease inpatients: Implications for critical factors and 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