Overview of Cardiac Rehabilitation Evidence, Benefits and Utilisation

Historically, the main objective of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) as an exercise-based programme was to restore or improve patients’ regular physical activity after a cardiac event. Since then CR has evolved into a comprehensive secondary prevention programme, the objectives of CR, and indications and contraindications for its use have also developed in sophistication. Current CR programmes are designed to stabilise or even reverse the progression of heart disease by controlling all modifiable risk factors. They are also concerned with improving patients’ quality of life by restoring their wellbeing. All this should be achieved with the maximum safety levels to patients. The first part of this review details on how CR evolved from a simple exercise programme to a comprehensive secondary prevention programme in the past few decades. The second part sets an example of modern CR provision, pathway and guidelines in a top leading country in this field, the UK. Keywords: cardiac rehabilitation, secondary prevention, coronary artery disease