About Cardiac Rehabilitation

What is cardiac rehabilitation?

Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically monitored exercise program tailored to a patient’s specific needs.   This program of diet, exercise and education can dramatically improve your health and the quality of your life.

The University of Toledo Medical Center’s (UTMC) cardiac rehab staff will help you make lifestyle changes that can lead to a stronger and healthier heart.

Patients in UTMC’s cardiac rehab program undergo therapy three times a week for 12 weeks. To ensure that your exercise program is safe and effective, you’ll perform a cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) test at the beginning and the end of the program. This test assesses the ability of your heart, lungs, blood vessels and muscles to use oxygen efficiently.

 What are the benefits of cardiac rehab?

Cardiac rehab helps you feel better and reduces your risk of future heart problems. Patients who participate in a cardiac rehab program have a 50 percent lower risk of death and a 30 percent lower risk of a heart attack over four years, compared to patients who do not go through a cardiac rehab program.

Who should go through a cardiac rehab program?

Cardiac rehab is recommended for a variety of heart-related procedures, surgeries and diagnoses:

• Heart attack
• Angioplasty or coronary stents
• Coronary bypass surgery
• Heart valve surgery
• Heart transplant
• Stable angina (chest pain)