Cardiac rehabilitation helps patients lose weight, lower their cholesterol, improve diabetes and reduce anxiety and depression after heart-related illnesses and procedures.
So why aren’t people taking advantage of these programs? A study found that only 62 percent of people referred to cardiac rehab programs are actually using them.
Why is cardiac rehab so important? These programs are designed to help patients regain strength and stay healthy with supervised exercise sessions, education on nutrition, medication and general lifestyle changes and choices.
The Hartford HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program has received national accreditation and is staffed by ALS/BLS trained RN’s and cardiovascular exercise physiologists. Here’s how cardiac rehabilitation works: A team of experts works with patients to track their exercise tolerance as well as factors that reflect lifestyle, diet and exercise adherence and reduction in other cardiac risk factors. All these improvements lead to better outcomes after heart-related illness and procedures.
Studies have also shown cardiac rehab to be more effective in reducing death rates after a heart attack than medicine such as beta blockers or statins and also decreasing mortality after myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization.
Do you know someone who could benefit from cardiac rehab at the Hartford HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute? Click here for more information.