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Favorable effects of exercise training on cardiovascular prognosis have been reported repeatedly in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2). However, little is known about the cardiovascular rehabilitation effects in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study has evaluated the benefits of combined aerobic-resistance training in two groups of patients -diabetics and non-diabetics -after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Changes in exercise capacity parameters, resting cardiovascular and anthropometrical parameters were evaluated in 77 patients who completed 12-weeks of combined aerobic-resistance training: 32 patients with DM2 (DM) and 45 patients without DM2 (NDM). Significant improvements in exercise capacity (total peak workload [W peak ], peak workload per kg of body weight [W peak /kg], total peak oxygen uptake [V O 2peak ], peak oxygen uptake per kg of body weight [V O 2peak /kg]) were found in both DM and NDM ( p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). The decrease in resting heart rate (HR rest ), resting systolic (SBP rest ) resting diastolic (DBP rest ) blood pressures, body weight (BW) and BMI in the DM group was not statistically significant. However, there was a statistically significant decrease in SBP rest , BW and BMI in the NDM group. In conclusion, this study demonstrated similar beneficial effects of combined cardiovascular training on exercise capacity in patients with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Our results suggest that the combined cardiac training is well tolerated and useful in secondary prevention in patients with DM2 and CAD. type 2 diabetes mellitus; cardiac rehabilitation; aerobic-resistance training; exercise capacity. Coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is the major cause of mortality and morbidity (Donahue and Orchard 1992;Haffner et al. 1998;Laakso 1999;Hu et al. 2005) in Western countries. These patients have 2 to 4 times higher risk of cardiovascular diseases as compared with individuals without diabetes mellitus. Moreover, the progno-

Aiming to observe directly the microcirculation after total artificial heart (TAH) implantation, we performed a long-term follow-up in 2 goats using conjunctival angioscopy. A short segment of parallel arteriole and venule was photographed and analyzed on computer picture program (magnification 40x). Three main parameters were measured: arteriole diameter, venule diameter, and arteriovenous ratio (A/V ratio). The intrathoracically implanted TAH was the undulation pump total artificial heart (UPTAH) with cardiac output of 100 ml/kg/min. To stabilize the peripheral hemodynamics a 1/R biofeedback control system was used. Our results provided only elementary data about morphology of bulbar microvessels. The main finding was the tendency to general vasoconstriction, more intensive on the venous side (*P < 0.05 in one goat). We did not observe any pathological shapes (e.g., tortuosities, varicosities, or sludge); this result could be attributed to the high effectivity of 1/R control method. These preliminary results should be considered only as an attempt to apply the widely used clinical method of conjunctival angioscopy to the conditions of TAH.

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