[Cardiac rehabilitation in Spain. Preventive cardiology units]

Secondary Prevention by controlling the main risk factors for atherosclerosis has proved a decrease in death rate and in damage of the obstructive arteries. The Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs are not well developed in Spain and nowadays they include less than the 2% of the feasible patients. The reasons for these are the lack of interest of many Cardiological Services and principally of the Administration which at present does not want to spend part of its budget to new loans although this new type of therapeutics has proved great benefits in the decrease of death rate and evident economical savings due to the diminution of hospital re-entries and Labour Incapacity. It is very important to notice that the 100% of the Spanish population is included in the Social Security and this would help the medical treatment of a high percentage of low risk patients, making use at the same time of the human and technological resources of the Health Centres and Municipal Gyms.