Cardiac rehabilitation programme reduces risk of repeat heart attacks

According to physical therapists at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, cardiac patients who complete the hospital’s outpatient exercise and education programme show a marked improvement in almost all aspects of their health. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, part of Mubadala’s network of healthcare providers, conducted a study on 50 patients suffering from cardiovascular disease who went on to complete the hospital’s cardiac rehabilitation programme. The study was one of the first reports from the Middle East region looking at how a structured cardiac rehabilitation programme can improve patients’ functional capacity and psychological well-being.
The Cardiac Rehabilitation programme, which lasts between six and 12 weeks, comprises a carefully-monitored exercise programme, where the intensity and duration are gradually increased over time. The programme, which is tailored to each patient’s individual needs, also includes a series of educational sessions to help patients live healthier lives in the future covering subjects such as medication management, stress management, diabetes, and nutrition.
“Cardiovascular disease tends to occur at a much younger age in the UAE than it does in the rest of the world,” says Ahmed Bashkeel, Director of Inpatient Therapies and Rehabilitation at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. “We’re seeing people coming to us for cardiac rehabilitation who are as young as their mid- 30s. That’s why it’s important for these patients to fully complete the cardiac rehabilitation programme. They still have many more productive years ahead of them and can hopefully return to the workforce and take care of their families.”
Physical therapists say that, despite the clear health benefits, too few heart patients are undertaking rehabilitation programmes, and those who do, too often fail to complete them.
The problem is a global one. According to a new study by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, only one-in-three heart attack survivors go on to complete cardiac rehabilitation programmes in America. Experts at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi are seeing similarly high numbers in the UAE.
“Cardiac rehabilitation programmes are a vital step on the road to recovery for anyone who has suffered a cardiac event. We have seen that patients who take part in these programmes have far better health outcomes than those who do not,” says Lisa Adams, Cardiac Rehabilitation Supervisor at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. “We also found that patients who complete the full programme run a far lower risk of suffering a recurrence in their first year after a cardiac event than those who drop out.” —[email protected]