At-home cardiac rehab as effective as in-person programs, review finds

• Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation could help reduce the risk of heart attacks and all-cause hospital admissions in people with coronary heart disease, according to a recent review.
• Common exercises in the review included aerobic exercise, static cycling, and circuit training.
• Home-based and digital exercise programs were shown to be as effective as traditional in-person rehabilitation, offering increased flexibility and accessibility.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Around 85% of 19.8 million CVD-related deaths in 2022 were due to heart attack (myocardial infarction) or stroke, according to the World Health Organization.

A recently updated Cochrane review published in September examined whether cardiac rehabilitation could impact health-related quality of life, disease status, and mortality in people with CVD.

It was determined that cardiac rehabilitation helped reduce the relative risk of heart attacks and hospital admissions.

Home-based and digital rehab programs were also found to be as effective, increasing accessibility for individuals unable to attend in-person sessions.

“This review confirms that exercise is a great tool for improving the overall health of people with coronary heart disease,” said senior review author Rod Taylor, PhD, Professor of Population Health Research (General Practice & Primary Care) at the University of Glasgow, in the press release.