Does cardiac rehabilitation increase long-term survival after myocardial infarction?

Abstract

Cardiac rehabilitation is being increasingly applied to cardiac illnesses other than myocardial infarction and in combination with a variety of therapeutic procedures. These rehabilitation programs include a growing number of older patients and individuals with less severe disease because of population changes and more sensitive diagnostic techniques. It is estimated that 100,000 patients participate in cardiac rehabilitation at a cost exceeding $108 million per year. Much of the impetus for cardiac rehabilitation has been based on the premise that exercise training will protect against further cardiac complications and will prolong life. Yet, recent reviews on the efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation conclude that the value of exercise in reducing mortality in patients with coronary heart disease cannot be supported definitively by the existing data.