Cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention

Group programs of cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention provide better outcomes than medical consultations alone. Tightly specified goals for secondary prevention are now more rigorous than ever before and should be reached by all patients. After acute myocardial infarction, patients require beta-blockers, aspirin, lipid-lowering agents and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Psychosocial adjustment problems are common in cardiac patients and their families, but these can be significantly reduced by appropriate rehabilitation strategies. Patients with additional needs should be identified (e.g., some working patients require work assessment, employer contact, additional exercise and specified return-to-work guidelines).