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Key Points
- Cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) is a medically
supervised program that helps improve the health and well-being of people who
have heart problems.
- Rehab includes exercise training, education on
heart healthy living, and counseling to reduce stress and help you return to an
active life.
- Cardiac rehab involves a long-term commitment
from the patient and a team of health care provides, such as doctors, nurses,
exercise specialists, physical and occupational therapists, dietitians or
nutritionists, and psychologists or other mental health specialists.
- Many people with heart problems can benefit from
cardiac rehab. Rehab can help people who have had a
heart
attack,
angioplasty
or coronary
artery bypass grafting for
coronary
artery disease,
heart
valve repair or replacement, a
heart
transplant or a lung transplant, or
stable
angina.
- The goals of cardiac rehab are to help you
recover after a heart attack or heart surgery, address risk factors for heart
problems, adopt healthy lifestyle changes, and improve your health and quality
of life.
- Your rehab team will work with you to meet your
goals. You will do this through increased daily physical activity, following a
heart healthy eating plan, quitting smoking, and improving your emotional
health.
- Before starting any cardiac rehab program, your
rehab team will assess your health. They will ask about your medical history
and do a physical exam. They may order tests to check your overall health.
- During cardiac rehab, your team will help create
physical activity and heart healthy eating plans. They will work with you to
reduce your risk factors for heart problems. If you feel sad, anxious, angry,
or isolated, the team can help you get treatment to improve your emotional
health.
- The lifestyle changes you make during cardiac
rehab have few risks. Physical activity may have some risks, but its very
safe in the rehab setting. Very rarely, it may cause serious problems.
- Cardiac rehab has many benefits. It can improve
your overall health and quality of life and reduce your overall chance of
dying, the chance of future heart problems, and the chance of dying from a
heart attack. It also can decrease pain and lessen the chance that you will
have to go back to the hospital or emergency room for a heart problem.
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Benefits & Risks Links
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