Cardiac rehabilitation: a comprehensive review

Scott A Lear, Andrew Ignaszewski, Scott A Lear, Andrew Ignaszewski

Abstract

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a commonly used treatment for men and women with cardiovascular disease. To date, no single study has conclusively demonstrated a comprehensive benefit of CR. Numerous individual studies, however, have demonstrated beneficial effects such as improved risk-factor profile, slower disease progression, decreased morbidity, and decreased mortality. This paper will review the evidence for the use of CR and discuss the implications and limitations of these studies. The safety, relevance to special populations, challenges, and future directions of CR will also be reviewed.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagrammatic outline of the modern cardiac rehabilitation program. ECG, Electrocardiography.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Current challenges faced by today's cardiac rehabilitation programs and recommended future directions of study. CHF, Congestive heart failure.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Proposed organizational structure for new cardiac rehabilitation (CR) models. ECG, Electrocardiography.

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