WHY CARDIAC REHABILITATION IS REQUIRED?
Image 1: Effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation, Source: sehealth.org
Cardiac rehabilitation is a method through which one can make their heart stronger. It is the program which your doctors may suggest after or before any surgery. Cardiac rehabilitation can be provided to anyone having a cardiovascular disease. Moreover people with diabetes, hypertension or obesity can undertake rehabilitation programs. The main goal of the CR program is to make your heart function more effectively.
Heart muscle like any other muscle responds to the strain from exercise and works with more effort thereby getting stronger. If you do not exercise or have a low amount of physical activity, your heart muscle would probably get weakened over the period of time. This occurs because you’re not providing sufficient stimulus to your heart. In order to avoid deterioration of heart muscles your doctor suggests you take a cardiac rehabilitation program.
It is considered important because it provides a vast variety of advantages. It reduces mortality rates, re-hospitalization and recurrence of heart attacks. Not only these, benefits beyond heart health are also provided like methods to cope with stress, physical and emotional support and you learn the fact that you are not alone, there are other people with similar issues and problems, with whom you might meet and connect.
DOES IT IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE?
The question arising commonly among cardiac patients and their family members is,whether cardiac rehabilitation works? Cardiac rehabilitation is scientifically proven to be beneficial as it involves vitals tracking and careful monitoring by the health expertise. Do you know that, According to sehealth.org (Image2), 95% of people who had undergone a cardiac rehabilitation program, had a 3 year survival rate, 25% reduction in recurrent heart attack and 20-30% reduction in all cause mortality rate. Also, People have a low chance of repeated heart attacks. Cardiac rehabilitation program is recommended for anyone who wants to improve their physical fitness, strength and endurance. According to the American Heart Association people having a heart disease require regular physical activity as compared to other individuals. If they do not undertake regular physical activity their body will slowly lose its strength and ability to function as desired. Do you exercise? If not, start now.
It has been suggested that people with a stable heart failure or have an ICD fitted to them can be a part of CR. The rehab program is available for Individuals who have undergone any cardiac surgery like valve repair, heart transplant, Bypass surgery (CABG) or PCI, Angioplasty Or If you have had any heart disease like myocardial infarction, coronary artery syndrome, Chronic stable angina or Congestive heart failure and want to reduce its extent of damage to the body.
Image 2: who CR is for, Source: pulseuniform.com
The rehab program will help you to improve your ejection fraction and will reduce the risk of comorbidities like Hypertension, Diabetes, Arthritis, Obesity, Sleep Apnea and High Cholesterol Level. Not only this but, Individuals suffering from lung diseases like Asthma, COPD, Emphysema etc or If you want to cope with conditions like Anxiety, Depression & Stress, rehabilitation will give you the solution to manage the same. Studies have found that people of all ages, men, women, people with mild, moderate or severe heart problems have benefitted from cardiac rehabilitation. Older people usually think that they are unable to do physical activity after surgery are encouraged to indulge in a rehab program as it is useful in increasing their strength and mobility to make daily tasks easier.