Cardiac rehabilitation helps reduce the potentially devastating effects of heart disease. Making the good lifestyle choices is the best way to improve your heart's health and keep it healthy!
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What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?
Cardiac rehabilitation is a multi-disciplinary treatment and secondary prevention programme for patients after a heart attack, percutaneous coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), heart surgeries and heart failure treatment. The purpose of cardiac rehabilitation is to provide a comprehensive, multifaceted treatment and education, to aid recovery and prevent recurrence of future heart problems.
The programme consists of two main parts:
1. Education and Counselling
This is to help you understand your heart condition and find ways to reduce your risk of future heart problems. Nurses will set personal goals with you.
You will learn how to:
- Manage your risk factors to heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes
- Have a heart-healthy diet
- Quit smoking
- Reduce stress and depression
- Facilitate an early return to work and normal lifestyle
2. Exercise Training
This will enable you to exercise safely and effectively based on your ability and needs. Regular exercise training will improve your cardiovascular fitness and your well-being as you move through the programme.
Exercise can help to:
- Optimise the function of your heart
- Improve physical fitness and well being
- Lower blood pressure
- Improve cholesterol control
- Manage and maintain ideal weight
- Reduce fatigue
A guided and tailored exercise regime will help you exercise safely and effectively within your abilities and to meet your needs.
Why is Cardiac Rehabilitation Multi-Disciplinary?
To help you recover holistically from your heart condition, healthcare professionals with different domains of expertise come together to form a multidisciplinary cardiac rehabilitation team.
Our cardiac rehab team comprises the following:
- Cardiologist
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse (Nurse Clinician)
- Physiotherapist
- Pharmacist
- Dietitian
- Occupational Therapist
- Clinical Psychologist
What Can I Expect?
This programme consists of:
- A comprehensive initial assessment which includes body composition analysis and exercise testing
- A counselling session on managing risk factors
- 10 exercise sessions using various types of exercise equipment
- A re-assessment to evaluate the outcome of your exercise program
- 6 optional educational talks by the respective Allied Healthcare Professionals: Cardiac Nurse, Dietician, Pharmacist, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist and Psychologist
During the programme, goals on risk factors will be set, monitored and reviewed as well.
How Can I Prepare for a Cardiac Rehabilitation Session?
- You are recommended to wear a loose comfortable outfit, e.g. jogging pants, T-shirts and jogging shoes.
- Take your meals and medications before coming for each session.
How Do I Get Started?
You will be enrolled in this programme for your heart condition during your hospital stay or after you are discharged from the hospital. If you have not been enrolled in the cardiac rehabilitation programme, you will need to consult with your cardiologist for a referral before starting this programme.
What are the Potential Risks?
Generally, cardiac rehabilitation is safe and studies have shown that detrimental effects of cardiac rehabilitation are rare. The exercise programme is supervised by the cardiac rehabilitation team through heart rate monitoring to ensure that the exercise intensity and progression are appropriate and safe.
