Overview
Cardiac rehabilitation (cardiac rehab) is a personalized program of education and exercise. The supervised program is designed to improve health in those with heart disease. It’s often recommended after a heart attack or heart surgery.
Cardiac rehabilitation involves exercise training, emotional support and education about a heart-healthy lifestyle. Healthy lifestyle habits include eating a nutritious diet, managing weight and quitting smoking.
Research shows that cardiac rehabilitation can reduce the risk of future heart problems and death from heart disease. The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology recommend cardiac rehabilitation.
Why it’s done
Cardiac rehabilitation is done to improve health in those with a heart condition or a history of heart surgery. The goals of cardiac rehabilitation are to:
- Get stronger
- Reduce the risk of future heart problems
- Prevent the heart condition from worsening
- Improve quality of life
Cardiac rehabilitation is an option for people with many forms of heart disease. Your provider may recommend cardiac rehab if your medical history includes:
- Angioplasty and stenting
- Cardiomyopathy
- Certain congenital heart diseases
- Chest pain (stable angina)
- Coronary artery bypass surgery
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Heart or lung transplant
- Heart valve repair or replacement
- Peripheral artery disease with pain in the arms or legs during activity (claudication)
