Future Trends in Cardiac Rehabilitation

Hautala A.¹, Fernhall B.², Takahashi T.³, Tulppo M.¹, Yamada S^_.4

¹Verve Research, Department of Exercise and Medical Physiology, Oulu, Finland, ²University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, Urbana IL, United States of America, ³Hyogo University of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy, Kobe, Japan, ⁴Nagoya University, School of Health Sciences, Nagoya, Japan

Learning objectives:

1. To provide an overview of the importance and effect of exercise on arterial function in patients with cardiovascular disease and to describe the appropriate use of endurance and resistance training as well as the role of daily physical activity as an integral part of cardiac rehabilitation. 2. To address the prognostic value of functional limitations in congestive heart failure management. 3. To discuss current research related to cardiac rehabilitation and to provide opportunities for physiotherapists, physicians and nursesto expand collaborative networks both regionally and internationally.

Description:

Cardiac rehabilitation is a core component of standard care for patients after a hospitalization for an acute coronary event such as myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization. The main challenge for rehabilitation in patients with cardiovascular disease is the fact that the number of patients is constantly increasing due to the growing number of aging population. Secondly, unhealthy lifestyle habits including lack of physical exercise lead to complications related to cardiovascular disease.

The symposium will focus on different perspectives and key issues on advanced or emerging scope of practice in cardiac rehabilitation. The current guidelines of cardiac rehabilitation will be introduced. The symposium will provide an overview of the importance and effect of exercise on arterial function in patients with cardiovascular disease. The appropriate use of endurance and resistance training as well as the role of daily physical activity as an integral part of cardiac rehabilitation will be discussed. Since declines in function are a key sign of clinical status in patients with congestive heart failure, the prognostic value of functional limitations will be introduced.

Implications / Conclusions:

The current guidelines of cardiac rehabilitation will be introduced. Suggestions for maximizing improvements in arterial function among cardiac patients will be provided. The appropriate use of endurance and resistance training and the role of physical activity in the rehabilitation of cardiac patients will be discussed. The prognostic value of functional limitations in congestive heart failure management will be addressed.

Keywords:

Cardiac rehabilitation, exercise training and physical activity, functional limitations

Funding acknowledgements:

The presenters gratefully acknowledge the financial support for travelling and other costs from Ab HUR Oy (Kokkola, Finland).

Relevance to WCPT and expected audience:

Cardiac rehabilitation is a core component of standard care for patients after a hospitalization for an acute coronary event such as myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization. However, cardiac rehabilitation is vastly underutilized. This symposium will provide to the audience the latest update of cardiac rehabilitation including physiological and practical points of view and a strategy how to facilitate broad participation in cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Target audience:

The target audience of proposed symposium will be physiotherapists, physicians and nurses who are working in the field of cardiac rehabilitation.

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