Rebuilding heart health: The vital role of cardiac                                   rehabilitation in recovery and wellness

India has the dubious distinction of being the heart disease and diabetes capital of the world. Heart disease is the leading cause of death, and what’s most worrying is it strikes Indians, during the prime years of their life. The cardiovascular disease epidemic in Indians is characterized by a higher relative risk burden, an earlier age of onset, higher case fatality and higher premature deaths.

After any heart event, the post-care and rehabilitation is a vital part of the process. A structured program is crucial to get the patient on the path to recovery, and to prevent further illness. The term cardiac rehabilitation, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) refers to coordinated, multifaceted interventions designed to optimize a cardiac patient’s physical, psychological, and social functioning, in addition to stabilizing, slowing, or even reversing the progression of the underlying atherosclerotic processes, thereby reducing risk of further disease.

The goals of cardiac rehabilitation are:
- To help the person get back to his or her normal routine, as quickly and safely as possible

- To institute lifestyle changes and regular monitoring to reduce future risk of cardiac events.
- To improve the psychological well being of the cardiac patient.
What does the research show?
Extensive research has been done, which shows that when compared with usual medical care, patients who underwent cardiac rehabilitation, showed a reduction of 20% in total death and 26% in cardiac deaths. In fact, such is the importance, that leading Cardiology associations, such as the

American Heart Association, have classified it as a Class I recommendation, on par with other life saving measures, such as a daily aspirin dose.

When does cardiac rehabilitation start?
The outpatient program begins one to four weeks after the patient is discharged, and the sutures are removed (for those who have had surgery). The program is usually conducted three days a week and lasts for three to six months depending on the patient’s condition.
What happens during the program?
The patient exercises using portable heart monitoring equipment, known as telemetry. With the help of this special equipment the ECG is continuously transmitted to the monitoring station wirelessly, while the person is exercising. This ensures that the optimal amount of exercise is performed in the safest manner possible.
An individualized program of lifestyle modification, including nutrition, stress reduction and counseling is planned for the patient. Diet forms an important part of a healthy lifestyle and great emphasis is taken to ensure that the patient has a diet plan which is individualized to their needs.
Cure the disease, don’t just repair it:
Heart disease is caused by the presence of risk factors. During cardiac rehabilitation, great emphasis is placed on educating the patient on his/her risk factors and ways to reduce them. This helps attack the actual root of the problem.
Many cardiac rehabilitation programs also include meditation and yoga, which greatly benefit patients, through stress reduction.
Cardiac rehabilitation in India:
Unfortunately, at the present moment, there isn’t sufficient attention given to cardiac rehabilitation, and there are very few centers across the country. There is an urgent need to increase their presence, both to cater to those with heart disease, and to serve as preventive programs for those who have not suffered, but are at high risk.

More info : cardiology.pencis.com

Contact : cardiology@pencis.com

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