Cardiac Rehabilitation for Patients With Heart Failure

Cardiac rehabilitation is defined as a multidisciplinary program that includes exercise training, cardiac risk factor modification, psychosocial assessment, and outcomes assessment. Exercise training and other components of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) are safe and beneficial and result in significant improvements in quality of life, functional capacity, exercise performance, and heart failure (HF)-related hospitalizations in patients with HF. Despite outcome benefits, cost-effectiveness, and strong practice guideline recommendations, CR remains underused. Clinicians, health care leaders, and payers should prioritize incorporating CR as part of the standard of care for patients with HF. Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation.

Automated summary

Cardiac rehabilitation, which includes exercise training, risk factor modification, and outcomes assessment, is safe and beneficial for patients with HF. Despite its effectiveness and cost-efficiency, it is currently underused and should be prioritized as part of standard care for HF patients.