Low-level laser therapy in rehabilitation of patients with ischemic heart disease: review of evidence-based studies

Cardiac rehabilitation is one of the main achievements of cardiology and physical rehabilitation medicine in the second half of the 20th century. Based on the methodology of evidence-based medicine, cardiac rehabilitation in a short time evolved from a “fictional” “alternative” unproven treatment direction to completely uncontested and proven multidisciplinary programs. This article presents contemporary findings on cardiorehabilitation and analysis of evidence-based experimental and clinical studies of low-level laser therapy efficiency in patients with ischemic heart disease. Aim. To search for evidence-based investigations on application of low-level laser therapy for rehabilitation of patients with ischemic heart disease and to analyze their major propositions and recommendations.Materials and methods. PEDro, EMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane library electronic databases were searched for randomized clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and clinical protocols using the key words within 2000–2019 years. Results and discussion: experimental and clinical investigations were carefully considered and the following findings were analyzed: action mechanisms of low-level laser therapy, its positive influence on myocardial remodeling, infarction area reduction, restenosis prevention and presented cardioprotective effect. More attention was focused at clinical evidence-based studies on application of photobiomodulation in order to increase the efficacy of surgical and percutaneous myocardial revascularization, and in non-invasive cardiology and physical rehabilitation medicine. Conclusion: regular analysis of performed studies and realization of new evidence-based investigation should be conducted to evaluate the efficiency of low-level laser therapy in rehabilitation of patients with ischemic heart disease.