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Updated: Sep 11, 2025

A Novel Digital Platform for a Monitored Home-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
04:24

A Novel Digital Platform for a Monitored Home-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

Published on: April 19, 2019

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Cardiac Rehabilitation in the Modern Era: Evidence, Equity, and Evolving Delivery Models Across the Cardiovascular

Anna S Mueller1, Samuel M Kim2

  • 1Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Morningside/West, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10025, USA.

Journal of Clinical Medicine
|August 14, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves cardiovascular outcomes but is underutilized. This review highlights CR benefits, expands on its use in diverse populations, and discusses barriers and solutions to improve access and equity.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Rehabilitation Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a vital secondary prevention strategy for cardiovascular disease (CVD), proven to reduce mortality and improve quality of life.
  • Despite strong evidence and guidelines, CR utilization remains suboptimal, especially among underrepresented groups like women, minorities, and older adults.
  • Existing disparities are exacerbated in low-resource settings, limiting access to life-saving interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the comprehensive benefits of CR across various cardiovascular diseases.
  • To examine the expanding role of CR in newer patient populations, including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and post-transcatheter interventions.
  • To identify persistent barriers to CR access and participation and explore innovative solutions.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of current evidence on CR benefits and utilization.
  • Analysis of disease-specific outcomes and efficacy in diverse and expanding patient populations.
  • Examination of system-level and patient-level factors contributing to disparities in CR access.

Main Results:

  • CR demonstrates significant benefits in mortality reduction, hospital readmissions, functional capacity, and quality of life for CVD patients.
  • Emerging evidence supports CR's efficacy in HFpEF, older adults, advanced heart failure, and post-transcatheter procedures.
  • Key barriers include system/referral limitations and patient-level disparities related to age, sex, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Conclusions:

  • CR is a cornerstone of cardiovascular secondary prevention with broad benefits, yet faces significant underutilization and access barriers.
  • Innovative delivery models and policy reforms are crucial for expanding equitable access to CR.
  • Continued investment and advocacy are necessary to ensure all eligible patients receive CR's life-saving benefits.

Keywords:
CRhealth disparitieshealthcare policyinnovative care modelssecondary prevention

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