Current status of cardiac rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation is increasingly recognized as an integral component of the continuum of care for patients with cardiovascular disease. Its application is a class I recommendation in most contemporary cardiovascular clinical practice guidelines. Despite the documentation of substantial morbidity and mortality benefits, cardiac rehabilitation services are vastly underutilized. The core components of cardiac rehabilitation have been delineated in detail. Implementation of newly available performance measures offers the potential to enhance referral to, enrollment in, and completion of cardiac rehabilitation.