Cardiac Rehab: A Crucial Step on the Road to Recovery

Heart attack recovery process can be quite challenging. Traditionally, it involved rest and a healthy diet. While these actions are significant, an additional option has helped speed up patients’ heart attack recovery.

Cardiac rehabilitation or cardiac rehab is a medically supervised program that helps patients recover from heart attack as well as improves the health and well-being of people who have heart problems. A rehab program usually includes exercise training, education on heart-healthy living, and counseling aimed at reducing stress and living a healthy lifestyle. Each patient will have a program that is especially designed to meet his needs.

Cardiac rehabilitation programs can benefit people who have had the following conditions: a heart attack, heart failure, coronary artery disease, angioplasty, peripheral arterial disease, angina, coronary artery bypass surgery, valve replacements and certain congenital heart diseases.

An important part of cardiac rehab is exercise or physical activity which makes the heart and the rest of the body stronger. Aside from this, cardiac rehab offers other benefits:

• It can prevent future hospital stays, heart problems and even death related to heart problems. It can likewise reduce visits to the hospital’s Emergency department since cardiac rehab patients are now more educated about heart attack symptoms.
• It helps the patients adopt healthy lifestyle changes. The changes may include a diet good for the heart, increased exercise or physical activity and better stress management.
• Counseling and education which are vital parts of cardiac rehab can help the patient quit smoking, eat right, lose weight, and maintain ideal blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
• Since cardiac rehab is medically-supervised, a patient can take advantage of the close supervision of healthcare professionals. These professionals can also communicate with the patient’s primary care doctor or cardiologist.

Given all these benefits, Dr. Marisa P. Joson, Cardiac Rehabilitation Specialist from The Medical City (TMC), says “cardiac rehab is a good investment for health.” Patients who have undergone cardiac rehab can easily go back to work or to their day-to-day activities, according to Dr. Joson.

At TMC, cardiac rehab is a customized program of exercise and education managed by a multi-disciplinary team composed of cardiologists, physiatrists, psychiatrists, nurses, physical therapists, dietitians, pharmacists and other allied health workers. Cardiac rehab program at TMC is also known as CARES or Cardiac Rehabilitation & Secondary Prevention Program.

The goals of CARES are to help the patient regain strength, prevent his condition from getting worse as well as to reduce the risk of future heart problems. It goes without saying that TMC CARES adds up to a better quality of life.

Cardiac rehab program under TMC CARES has three stages: Phase 1 or In-hospital Phase, Phase 2 or Out-Patient Phase and Phase 3 or Out-Patient Maintenance.

Phase 1 is aimed at preventing the harmful effects of prolonged bed rest. While the patient is still in his room, physical therapy activities are started by encouraging early sitting, standing and walking. Initial health education and psychosocial evaluation is also done at this phase.

Phase 2 starts within one to two weeks after hospital discharge. Group exercises are done three times a week for a period of six weeks. Education, counseling and behavioral services are also conducted twice a week for a period of six weeks.
Exercises under Phase 2 include aerobics, calisthenics, resistance or strength training among others.

On the other hand, Phase 3 refers to the continuation phase which will last for three months. It involves group exercises three times a week. It likewise focuses on risk factors and lifestyle modification.

“After Phase 2 or Phase 3, patients are evaluated if they can already go back to work. For those who are unemployed or retired, they can re-enroll if we feel they still need to continue with their program,” says Dr. Carlos P. R. Esguerra, Consultant-Director of TMC CARES.

Dr. Esguerra adds that they also assess patients if they can already travel or go back to their favorite sport or hobby.

There is a wide difference between enrolling in cardiac rehab programs and going to fitness centers for heart disease patients, Dr. Esguerra points out. “Here at TMC CARES, we evaluate our patients medically and then we tailor their program based on our diagnosis. The medical supervision that we can give is very important for these patients, something they cannot get from health clubs or fitness centers,” adds Dr. Esguerra. Under cardiac rehab program, patients are supervised while exercising. Their diet, weight and body mass index (BMI), cholesterol and sugar levels are also being monitored.

TMC CARES has 6 components: medical evaluation, nutritional counseling, risk factors, physical activity counseling, exercise training/testing, and psychosocial evaluation and support.

TMC CARES is highly cost effective with flexible payment terms. If you or a loved one is recovering from a heart condition or heart surgery or would simply like more information on cardiac rehabilitation, you may contact The Medical City at 988-7000 or 988-1000 ext. 6461 or 6299.