Cardiac Rehabilitation: 10 FAQs Answered by Profesionals

If you have recently experienced a heart attack or undergone heart surgery, you should consider cardiac rehabilitation for recovery. This program helps improve your heart health and helps you recover from heart conditions. Studies have proven that this program can increase life expectancy and lower the risk of heart problems in the future. Learn everything about cardiac rehabilitation via FAQs in this article. Get a consultation with the best cardiologists in Brooklyn.

10 Common FAQs answered on Cardiac Rehabilitation

These FAQs will help you understand what you need to know about cardiac rehabilitation. It includes:

1. What is cardiac rehabilitation?

Ans. It is a personalized program of exercise, education, and counseling to improve health or recover after a heart attack and other heart conditions. Usually, it is recommended after a heart attack or heart surgery. It helps you regain your strength, prevent your condition from getting worse, and lower the risk of having other heart problems in the future. It involves exercise training, emotional support, and education about following a heart-healthy lifestyle. Your doctor may recommend that you join this program in your area to get easy access to all the benefits of this program.

1. When does your doctor recommend cardiac rehabilitation?

Ans. Although anyone with a heart problem (such as a heart attack, heart failure, or heart surgery) can benefit from cardiac rehabilitation, studies reveal that cardiac rehabilitation helps men and women of all ages with mild and severe heart problems. Your doctor may recommend cardiac rehab if your medical history includes any of the following:

• Blockage in the heart arteries causing pain during physical activity.
• Heart attack and failure.
• Cardiomyopathies.
• Certain congenital heart diseases.
• Blocked arteries in the legs or arms.

Cardiac rehab is also recommended after heart procedures that involve:

• Angioplasty and stenting.
• Coronary artery bypass surgery.
• Heart or lung transplant.
• Heart valve repair and replacement.
• Procedure to open blocked arteries in the legs or arms.

1. What are the main components and phases of cardiac rehabilitation?

Ans.A cardiac rehab program consists of 5 main components and goes through 3 phases. It includes:

5 main components

• Exercise training.
• Cardiac risk factor changes.
• Heart health education.
• Diet and nutrition counseling.
• Emotional support.

The 3 phases of the cardiac rehab program are:

• Phase 1: Inpatient (starts when you’re still in the hospital).
• Phase 2: Outpatient (going to appointments and then returning home).
• Phase 3: On your own (you need to keep up with exercises and lifestyle changes on your own).

1. Where will you get cardiac rehabilitation?

Ans. Some cardiac rehabilitation is given initially in a hospital or rehabilitation center, and other programs are in your home. Cardiac rehabilitation may start while you’re still in the hospital or right after you leave the hospital. It usually lasts around 3 months but can range anywhere from 2 to 8 months. Talk with your doctor first about cardiac rehabilitation to know about the procedure and whether it is covered by your insurance plan or not.

1. What to expect before cardiac rehab?

Ans. Before a cardiac rehab program is created for you, the staff at the cardiac rehab center will perform a brief physical exam and go through your medical history. They may also ask you to take basic testing, which may include:

• Cardiac imaging.
• Electrocardiogram (EKG).
• Tests to check blood sugar and cholesterol.
• An exercise stress test with a treadmill or stationary bike activity.

Your cardiac rehab staff will work with you and your provider to:

• Review and assess the risk factors for heart and blood vessel disease.
• Develop a treatment plan to guide you through the program.
• Identify safe and effective targeted training zones for exercise training.
• Set heart-healthy goals for you to reach for optimal long-term results.

1. What to expect during cardiac rehab?

Ans. During cardiac rehab, you get in a group setting where the rehab staff will monitor you as you exercise. You need to start slowly according to their instructions. As you complete more sessions, you’ll gain confidence and develop endurance gradually. They increase the intensity and duration of your exercise based on your fitness level and medical history. After or during your exercise, the cardiac rehab staff will check your heart rate and blood pressure regularly to ensure your safety.

The cardiac rehab exercises they choose for you are based on your fitness level and the risk factors you started with. Common exercises may include:

• Aerobic exercises like walking, riding a stationary bike, or using an elliptical or step trainer.
• Exercises that train your muscles for strength, like lifting free weights or using cable machines and resistance bands.
• Stretching or yoga to improve flexibility and range of motion.

Besides exercises, cardiac rehab staff focus on your nutrition, medicine, disease education, mental health care, and lifestyle education:

• For nutrition:
• Provides information on heart-healthy food choices.
• Helps you set your goals and weight loss or control.
• Helps to manage diabetes, body weight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other risk factors for heart disease with healthy food choices.
• Helps to make a nutrition plan.
• Medicine and disease education:
• Provide information about heart disease and other medical conditions you may have.
• Provide information about the medicines’ uses and why you need to take them.
• Help you take medicine as prescribed.
• Help you manage your risk factors.
• Mental healthcare: 
• Provide therapy to cope with stress, anxiety, or depression.
• Prescribe medicine to manage anxiety or depression.
• Lifestyle education:
• Help you quit smoking.
• Teach you about healthy sleeping habits.
• Diagnose or treat for potential sleep apnea.
• Support for safe return to sexual activities after a heart attack or surgery.

1. What to expect after completing a cardiac rehabilitation program?

Ans. After completing your cardiac rehabilitation program, you learn how to do exercises on your own and maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep your heart healthy. Your program may have a follow-up plan with your heart specialist or primary doctor to just watch your progress.

1. What short-term and long-term benefits does cardiac rehabilitation offer?

Ans.Many studies reveal that completing a cardiac rehab program can add up to 5 more years to your life expectancy. It offers many short-term and long-term benefits, including:

• Help you recover and makes you stronger after a heart attack, heart surgery, or another heart issue.
• Relieve your symptoms of heart problems like chest pain or shortness of breath.
• Teach you ways to ease stress.
• Teach you healthy lifestyle habits like staying more physically active, heart-healthy eating, quitting smoking, avoiding tobacco products, sitting less, etc.
• Lower the risk of becoming extremely ill or dying from heart disease in the coming years. Studies reveal that cardiac rehabilitation can lower the chance of dying in 5 years by heart attack and bypass surgery by 35%.
• Help you manage mental health and prevent or lessen the feelings of depression and anxiety after a heart attack.
• Increase your daily activities by improving your energy and strength levels, which improves your overall life quality.
• Convince you to take the prescribed medication as prescribed to lower the risk of future heart problems.
• Helps you manage your weight.

1. Are there any risks or complications of cardiac rehabilitation?

Ans. In exceedingly rare cases, exercise during cardiac rehab may cause an injury or a dangerous heart rhythm. If this happens, you should tell your cardiac rehab staff right away and stop exercising. If needed, the cardiac rehab staff can talk with your cardiologist or primary doctor to examine you or order more testing before returning to cardiac rehab.

1. When should you call your doctor?

Ans. You can call your doctor if you have any concerns with the supervising provider in your cardiac rehab program. You can also contact your primary healthcare provider if you have trouble with the program’s tasks. Additionally, while regularly attending cardiac rehab, you should also keep up with all your follow-up appointments with other providers in your care team.

Cardiac rehabilitation is a good option for better recovery while keeping your heart healthy in the long run. It teaches you what exercises and lifestyle changes improve your heart health and lower the risk of heart problems in the future. It offers many benefits, which are proven by studies. So, consult with your doctor to take part in cardiac rehabilitation to improve your heart health and overall life quality.

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