Patient education: Cardiac rehabilitation (The Basics)

What is cardiac rehabilitation? — 

This is a program that includes education, exercise, and healthy lifestyle changes. It is often part of the treatment plan for people with heart disease. ("Cardiac" means related to the heart.) Cardiac rehabilitation is sometimes called "cardiac rehab" for short.

The goals of cardiac rehabilitation are to:

●Help you understand your disease

●Make changes to improve your overall health

●Improve your quality of life

Most people find cardiac rehabilitation very helpful.

Why do I need cardiac rehabilitation? — 

Doctors often recommend it for people with heart problems. Examples include people who have had:

●Heart attack

●Heart surgery, such as bypass or heart valve surgery

●Heart transplant, or placement of a ventricular assist device

●Heart failure

●Angina (chest pain)

●Peripheral artery disease

●Certain diseases that can affect the heart, like diabetes or high blood pressure

Cardiac rehabilitation can help control symptoms and lower the risk of problems.

What does a cardiac rehabilitation program involve? — 

You will likely work with several different experts, including doctors, respiratory therapists, and physical therapists. They will work with you to create a program that is specific to you and your needs. You might go to a therapy center, hospital, or doctor's office a few times a week. In some cases, you might be able to do exercises at home.

A program typically includes:

●Exercises – The goal is to help build up your endurance and strength. Another goal is to learn the limits of how much exercise is safe for your condition. Endurance training involves improving your ability to do more physical activity. You might use a special machine, similar to an exercise bike. Your team will ask you questions about how you feel, your symptoms, and energy level, and will adjust your exercises as needed. They will also give you exercises to do using weights, which help improve your muscle strength.

●Education – Cardiac rehabilitation also involves learning about your disease. The goal is to make sure that you know how to care for yourself and how to avoid things that can make your symptoms worse. Education might include:

•Making sure that you understand how and when to take your medicines

•Learning about diet, weight loss, and healthy food choices

•Help with stopping smoking

•Managing other illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol

•Talking about your plans for the future, and what kinds of treatments you might want if your heart disease gets more severe

●Behavior changes – A lot of things you can do to improve your health require changing your behavior. This can be challenging, and your health care team can help support you. You might also be able to talk with a counselor or other people who are living with similar heart problems. Many people find this helpful.

Your team will work closely with you to see how your health improves. They will adjust your exercises as you gradually become able to do more. They will also make sure that you have the information and support you need to stay as healthy as possible. They can also help if you are struggling with depression or anxiety.

How long does cardiac rehabilitation take? — 

A cardiac rehabilitation program typically takes at least 8 to 12 weeks. But it might be shorter or longer.

After your program ends, you can continue to use what you have learned to stay as healthy as possible over time.

More on this topic

Patient education: Heart attack (The Basics)
Patient education: Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (The Basics)
Patient education: Heart transplant (The Basics)
Patient education: Heart failure (The Basics)
Patient education: Angina (The Basics)
Patient education: Peripheral artery disease and claudication (The Basics)
Patient education: Coronary artery disease (The Basics)
Patient education: Coronary artery disease in women (The Basics)

Patient education: Heart attack recovery (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Recovery after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Heart transplantation (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Heart failure (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Angina treatment — medical versus interventional therapy (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Peripheral artery disease and claudication (Beyond the Basics)