Cardiac rehabilitation: applying exercise physiology in clinical practice

In this paper new insights into the beneficial effects of physical training for patients with coronary artery disease are reviewed. Endurance training as part of a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programme in combination with strength training, smoking cessation and lipid management may slow down and in some cases reverse the progress of coronary atherosclerosis. Thus, exercise training remains an invaluable tool in the hands of the clinical cardiologist dealing with chronic coronary care.