Some benefits of cardio rehabilitation
King Features Syndicate
Q: My grandmother recently suffered a minor heart attack followed by a stent placement. She’s scared about a recommended cardio rehab program. What can I say to get her to go?—Laura G., New York City
A: Recovering from a heart attack can be challenging, not just physically, but emotionally. Cardio rehab helps with both aspects. Unfortunately, only about two-thirds of diagnosis-appropriate patients are referred to cardio rehab, and only about a quarter of those folks enroll in a rehab program. Even at the Cleveland Clinic, where everyone with an appropriate diagnosis is approached separately by a doc and a nurse, only about 22 percent of patients join rehab. This is despite the fact that the program is almost totally covered by every insurance company, Medicare and Medicaid. Clearly, patients need to better understand the enormous benefits.
Explain to your grandmother that cardio rehab is a wide-ranging wellness program that promotes good health and a good mental attitude by offering everything from exercise to nutritional advice, emotional counseling and stress reduction. It’s individualized and can include help with other lifestyle changes (smoking cessation?) she wants. Here’s what she can expect:
Evaluation: Her program will start with a face-to-face evaluation with the professionals at her rehab center. An accompanying friend or family member would be welcome here. After that, she’ll probably have a stress test, during which her heart rate and her blood pressure will be monitored. Then, they’ll review her medications, and she and the cardio-rehab team will decide on the next steps.
Her Program: She will set up a schedule for attending lectures/discussions about healthy eating, classes in meditation or chair yoga and workouts on exercise machines. There are also Intensive Cardiac Rehab programs, which increase frequency and incorporate programs such as Ornish or Pritikin. They reduce the incidence of recurrence and restore a more active and normal lifestyle.
We hope you can persuade your grandmother to go. We’ve seen so many people benefit from these programs. They restore physical and emotional self-confidence along with physical strength.