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VICTORIA L. BOGGIANO, MD, MPH, RANA ALKHALDI, MD, AND AMIR H. BARZIN, DO, MS

Am Fam Physician. 2025;112(3):272-277

 This clinical content conforms to AAFP criteria for CME.

Author disclosure: No relevant financial relationships.

Cardiac rehabilitation consists of comprehensive risk factor reduction with demonstrated effectiveness in combating cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association defines cardiac rehabilitation as a supervised program to improve cardiovascular health through a combination of exercise, education, and emotional counseling for those who have had a myocardial infarction, heart failure, angioplasty, or heart surgery. Cardiac rehabilitation programs involve evaluations by a team of specialists, structured exercise, and lifestyle risk factor modification, and a focus on long-term goals to improve overall health and reduce coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality. Family physicians play a vital role in ensuring that patients are connected to and complete cardiac rehabilitation training because the program remains underused nationwide. After a coronary heart disease event and cardiac rehabilitation, these programs continue to support patients by helping them adhere to lifestyle modifications.

Cardiac rehabilitation programs are intended to provide eligible candidates the best opportunity to reduce long-term effects of a recent event or diagnosis or chronic worsening of certain cardiac conditions.1 The American Heart Association (AHA) defines cardiac rehabilitation as a supervised program to improve cardiovascular health through a combination of exercise, education, and emotional counseling for those who have had a myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure, angioplasty, or heart surgery.2 Cardiac rehabilitation programs aim to limit the psychological and physiologic stresses of coronary heart disease (CHD), reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality secondary to CHD, and improve cardiovascular function to help patients achieve the highest quality of life possible.1 By engaging in comprehensive programs, eligible patients focus on factors that contribute to overall heart health and improve short- and long-term outcomes.

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