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Cardiac Rehabilitation
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Blood Heart Circulation

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program designed to help patients recover from heart events and reduce the risk of future complications.

Overview

Cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) is a medically supervised program to help people who have:

  • A heart attack
  • Angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting for coronary heart disease
  • A heart valve repair or replacement
  • A heart transplant or a lung transplant
  • Angina
  • Heart failure

Program Goals

The goal is to help you return to an active life, and to reduce the risk of further heart problems. A team of specialists will create a plan for you that includes exercise training, education on heart healthy living, and counseling to reduce stress.

You will learn how to reduce your risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, depression, and diabetes. Being overweight, having obesity, smoking, and not exercising are other risk factors.

Frequently Asked Questions

The duration of a cardiac rehabilitation program varies but often lasts for several weeks to a few months, with sessions typically held 2-3 times per week. After completing the structured program, the goal is for you to continue the healthy habits and exercise routines you've learned independently. Your healthcare team will help you develop a long-term plan to maintain your progress and continue reducing your risk factors.
Cardiac rehabilitation helps reduce your risk of future heart problems by addressing multiple risk factors. Through exercise training, it improves heart strength and endurance. Education teaches you how to manage conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Counseling helps reduce stress, and guidance on diet and weight management further contributes to a healthier lifestyle, all of which significantly lower your chances of another cardiac event.
Cardiac rehabilitation is recommended for individuals who have experienced a heart attack, undergone procedures like angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting, had heart valve repair or replacement, received a heart or lung transplant, or are managing conditions like angina or heart failure. It's designed to help these patients recover and improve their heart health.
cardiac rehabilitation program typically includes three main components: medically supervised exercise training tailored to your abilities, education on heart-healthy living (covering topics like nutrition, medication management, and risk factor reduction), and counseling to help manage stress, anxiety, or depression. You'll learn how to safely increase physical activity and make lifestyle changes to support your heart health.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

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