Cardiac rehabilitation

Abstract

Background: Prolonging the life span and working life requires an active lifestyle, optimization of cardiovascular risk factors and psychosocial support for patients suffering from chronic heart disease. Objective: Is it possible to improve the prognosis and quality of life as well as social and occupational participation of patients with cardiovascular diseases by cardiac rehabilitation? Material and methods: The S3 guidelines on cardiac rehabilitation in German-speaking countries provide evidence-based recommendations based on recent meta-analyses and current position papers. Results: Cardiac rehabilitation is able to reduce overall mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome, after percutaneous coronary interventions or surgical revascularization as well as after heart valve correction. In patients with systolic heart failure (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, HFrEF) exercise capacity and quality of life are improved by cardiac rehabilitation. Psychosocial distress can be reduced and occupational reintegration can be adequately planned. Conclusion: In 2019 current evidence-based guidelines are available that recommend a multimodal cardiac rehabilitation in patients after an acute cardiac event, due to improvement of prognosis, exercise capacity and quality of life as well as due to technical progress (e.g. catheter-based valve correction) and with respect to social and professional participation.