The Benefits of Cardiac Rehabilitation

Saint Alphonsus provides individualized care to aid in recovery and prevent future issues

Cardiac rehab helps patients who have had a cardiovascular event. These include a heart attack, coronary bypass surgery, coronary stent, heart transplant, heart valve repair or replacement, heart failure, or heart-related chest discomfort (angina). Under the guidance of a cardiologist, a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals design a treatment plan for each patient. The goal of cardiac rehab is to prevent future cardiovascular events. The team provides expertise in complex cardiovascular patient case management. These can include hypertension management, lipid management, diabetes management, stress management, tobacco cessation, and lifestyle changes.

Cardiac rehab increases the rate of recovery. It can also drastically reduce the possibility of another cardiovascular episode.

Benefits of cardiac rehabilitation:

• Live longer and lessen your chances of another heart attack.
• Control heart disease symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath.
• Stop or reverse damage to the blood vessels in your heart.
• Lessen the physical and emotional effects of heart disease.
• Improve your stamina and strength, getting you back to your usual activities, including work, hobbies, and regular exercise.
• Improve your confidence and well-being.
• Reduces stress.

Both the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Our multidisciplinary team aims to:

• Re-introduce a healthy regular exercise routine.
• Increase a patient's aerobic exercise capacity.
• Reduce cholesterol/lipid levels through lifestyle changes.
• Reduce or control other heart disease risk factors. These include high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes, stress, and obesity.

If you have one of the following diagnoses, you may be eligible to participate:

• Heart Attack
• Stable Chest Pain (Angina)
• Coronary artery angioplasty or stent placement
• Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
• Valve Repair/Replacement
• Heart Transplantation
• Heart Failure

Additional information about Saint Alphonsus' cardiac rehabilitation program can be found here on our website. There you learn more details about what the program offers and how others have found the program to be life-saving.