[Best of functional evaluation and cardiac rehabilitation in 2005]

The latest in cardiac rehabilitation has been impacted by: The East German PET publication which showed fewer ischaemic events and progression of the atheromatous disease in symptomatic and stable coronary patients who carry out regular physical exercise in comparison with patients who underwent angioplasty with stenting. Two meta-analyses updated the data showing the benefits of physical training: a 20% reduction in global mortality in coronary disease and 35% in cardiac failure. Two French studies reporting reassuring data for our daily practice: the serious complications of cardiac rehabilitation are exceptionally rare: the register for 2003 with data from 65 French centres, over 25,000 patients and 743,000 patient/exercise hours. Physical training two weeks after mitral valvuloplasty is not harmful for the valve repair and is beneficial in terms of exercise capacity for the patient. Epidemiological studies showing that women and elderly patients are, unfortunately, often excluded from programmes of cardiac rehabilitation.