Elsevier

International Journal of Cardiology

Volume 386, 1 September 2023, Pages 134-140
International Journal of Cardiology

Optimal outcomes from cardiac rehabilitation are associated with longer-term follow-up and risk factor status at 12 months: An observational registry-based study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2023.05.028Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Highlights

  • Patients with PCI/CABG or comorbidities are more likely to attend a 12-month assessment. Deprived patients are less likely.

  • Being in an optimal stage for risk factors upon CR completion was associated with attending the 12-month assessment.

  • Being in an optimal risk factors stage upon CR completion was associated with positive long-term risk factor status.

  • Risk factors status after CR completion may be a predictor in long-term CR provision and long-term risk factor status.

Abstract

Aim

The purpose of Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is to promote and reduce risk factors in the short and long term, however, the latter has, to date, been poorly evaluated. We explored characteristics associated with provision and outcomes of a long-term assessment in CR.

Method

Data from the UK National Audit of CR between April 2015 and March 2020 was used. Programmes were selected if they had an established mechanism and routine methodology to collect the 12-month assessments. Risk factors pre and post phase II CR and at the 12-month assessment were explored; BMI ≤30, ≥150 min of physical activity per week, hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) scores <8. The data came from 32 programmes, 24,644 patients with coronary heart disease. Patients being in at least one optimal risk factor stage throughout phase II CR (OR = 1.43 95% CI 1.28 to 1.59) or successfully reaching an optimal stage during phase II CR (OR = 1.61 95% CI 1.44 to 1.80) had an increased likelihood of being assessed at 12 months compared to those who did not. Patients being in the optimal stage upon completion of phase II CR had an increased likelihood of still being in the optimal stage at 12 months. Most prominent was BMI; (OR = 14.6 (95% CI 11.1 to 19.2) for patients reaching an optimal stage throughout phase II CR.

Conclusion

Being in an optimal stage upon routine CR completion could be an overlooked predictor in the provision of a long-term CR service and prediction of longer-term risk factor status.

Keywords

Maintenance
Rehabilitation
Heart disease
Exercise

Cited by (0)

This author takes responsibility for all aspects of the reliability and freedom from bias of the data presented and their discussed interpretation.