A cardiac rehabilitation compliance assessment tool

Effects of exercise and cardiac rehabilitation on cardiovascular outcomes

Cardiac rehabilitation was originally conceived to counteract the deconditioning and comorbidities associated with prolonged bed rest after a myocardial infarction. Contemporary cardiac rehabilitation has taken a more comprehensive approach, with a broader range of participating patients. Relevant cardiovascular outcomes of cardiac rehabilitation can be classified as primary clinical outcomes, intermediate clinical outcomes, and quality-of-life outcomes. In this article, the effects of exercise training alone and, more importantly, the value of comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation are reviewed from the point of view of individual cardiovascular outcomes.

Cardiac rehabilitation programs and the problem of patient dropout

As one of the leading causes of death in the United States, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CAHD) has been shown to have a reduced incidence if the principles of primary prevention are instituted to reduce cardiac risk factors. In people who already suffer from CAHD, employing secondary prevention such as controlling hypertension, reducing serum lipid levels, eliminating nicotine intake, reducing stress, losing weight, and increasing exercise habits can decrease recurrence of problems related to CAHD. Cardiac rehabilitation programs are a way to help CAHD patients restore optimal medical, physiological, psychological, social, and vocational performance following an acute cardiac event. A major problem in cardiac rehabilitation programs is patient dropout. For any cardiac rehabilitation program to be a success, the CAHD patient must become invested in the maintenance of health and, therefore, committed to participation in the program. The author reviews the current literature, including discussions of the history of cardiac rehabilitation, current trends in cardiac rehabilitation programs, factors that influence patients' investment in these programs, and ways in which the cardiac rehabilitation nurse might intervene to make an impact on patients' participation.