Helping the Heart Through Cardiac Rehab
A rehabilitation program often can help heart patients live better with their disease and recover from medical procedures like surgery and angioplasty.
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), cardiac rehab services are comprehensive and long-term. They include a medical evaluation; exercise under a doctor's supervision; modification of cardiac risk factors; and education, counseling, and behavior modification.
Only a small percentage of the millions of cardiovascular patients, however, get the supervised exercise, stress management, and lifestyle adjustments that can help them recover.
What's at stake? A 25 percent reduction in the risk for cardiovascular death among patients who have had a heart attack. AHRQ guidelines say that patients who have undergone bypass surgery and angioplasty to clear clogged coronary arteries also should be involved in cardiac rehab. And patients with stable angina—chest pain from narrowed blood vessels around the heart—and those with heart failure also are candidates for it.
Talk with your doctor
If you are being treated for heart disease, talk with your doctor about how a cardiac rehab program could aid your recovery. Your health care provider can help you devise a program that's right for you, according to your specific needs and health coverage benefits.
Getting worked up over a traffic jam or flying off the handle at a co-worker can put some patients at greater risk of a second heart attack. Talk therapy, biofeedback, and meditation can teach relaxation instead of allowing tempers and heart problems to erupt.
The major components of any cardiac rehabilitation program should include the following.
Smoking cessation
Whatever you need to quit smoking—from wearing a nicotine patch to undergoing hypnosis—do it to quit this habit, says the American Heart Association (AHA). You should also avoid secondhand tobacco smoke.
Blood pressure control
Optimal blood pressure is less than 120/80. Blood pressure that is 120 to 139 for the top number (systolic reading) and 80 to 89 (diastolic) for the bottom number on two or more occasions is considered pre-hypertension, meaning there is a risk for developing hypertension. High blood pressure is when your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher (for either number) on three or more different occasions. Have your blood pressure checked regularly. In some cases, medication may be needed to keep blood pressure under control. Make sure you and your doctor keep track of what you need to do to stay within healthy blood pressure levels.
Cholesterol checks
Your total cholesterol should be kept under 200 mg/dL. Your low-density lipoprotein, or LDL ("bad") cholesterol, should be kept below 100 mg/dL. Your high-density lipoprotein, or HDL ("good") cholesterol, should be at least 40 mg/dL, and preferably 60 mg/dL or greater. Diet, exercise and medication can help control cholesterol levels.
Exercise
You should accumulate 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. It doesn't have to be 30 minutes at once; you can break it up into three 10-minute sessions. Follow your health care provider's advice on the intensity of your workout.
Diet
You should follow a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.