Unfolding Cardiac Rehabilitation
The Rundown of Cardiac Rehabilitation
PULSE Issue 40 | January 2023
What is Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR)?
Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is a medically supervised programme designed to strengthen and improve one's cardiovascular health. The programme is particularly focused on strengthening the hearts of those who are suffering from a cardiac condition, or who are recovering from a heart attack or surgery.
Consisting of exercise training, emotional support, and education about lifestyle changes, this programme helps recover one's strength and health. Through personalised exercise plans, patients under CR programmes are empowered to regain their fitness in safe and progressive phases, while learning to manage lifestyle-related risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol. Beneficial for almost any heart condition, NUHCS Cardiac Rehabilitation is a specialised programme to help patients achieve normalcy in daily living, while reducing the risk of a relapse.
Your Cardiac Rehabilitation Team:
- Cardiologist
- Physiotherapist
- Nurse Clinician
- Pharmacist
- Dietician
- Occupational Therapist
- Clinical Psychologist
- Medical Social Worker
Should You Join A CR Programme?
A CR Programme helps people who have had:
- A heart attack
- Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
- Cardiac surgery, such as a Coronary Bypass or Valve Surgery
- Vascular surgery
- Heart failure
- Heart transplantation
- Had an electrophysiology (EP) device implantation
- Treatment for other heart conditions such as heart failure, high-risk coronary artery disease
Please consult a cardiologist before starting a CR Programme.
3 Components of NUHCS' CR Programme
Education
Patients need to be informed about the disease, types of treatment, risk factors and be advised on what they can safely do at home.
Counselling
Many patients and their families are struck with many uncertainties (e.g. fear of having another heart event, coping with lifestyles changes, worrying about hospital expenses or future follow-up costs). The NUHCS CR team helps patients navigate those challenges by providing support and guidance to them and their families on this road to recovery.
Prescribed exercise training
Each patient is unique and will be guided on safe and suitable physical exercises that fit his or her individual tolerance, progress, endurance, needs, and goals. The intensity of frequency of the exercise will be increased in progressive manner to give one's cardiac recovery a boost and to help one maintain their heart health even after a heart attack.
Facts about Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR)
Many studies show evidence supporting the effectiveness and benefits of a comprehensive CR programme. International guidelines as well as leading CR centres around the world support a structured exercise programme as part of the rehabilitative process. The heart needs time to recover especially after major events such as a heart attack or surgery. Starting physical activities early is important to help the heart recover faster, but overstraining the heart should be avoided.
