Cardiac Rehabilitation for Frail Older People

Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programmes include multifactorial components to optimise cardiovascular risk reduction, promote healthy behaviours and an active lifestyle, reduce disability and improve health and wellbeing. There is compelling evidence that older people with certain cardiovascular conditions, such as heart failure, can benefit both physically and mentally from cardiac rehabilitation. This chapter discusses the evolution of cardiac rehabilitation, frailty assessment in cardiac rehabilitation and guideline recommendations in the context of ageing populations. Contemporary cardiac rehabilitation service models are presented along with potential solutions to meeting older people's preferences and improving access to effective treatment for those with frailty. Innovations in catheter-based surgical interventions mean that more people with frailty are undergoing cardiovascular surgery than ever before. Although traditionally, cardiac rehabilitation has been associated with secondary prevention after cardiac diagnoses, events and interventions, new models of preconditioning rehabilitation or 'prehab' are being offered to frail older people before surgery to improve functional outcomes and reduce hospital stay. Individual tailoring of cardiac rehabilitation programme components is a cornerstone of high-quality care. Importantly, participation in core components, such as exercise and nutritional interventions, can impact on both cardiac vascular disease and frailty, providing the potential to change the trajectory of both conditions.