[The cost-benefit of cardiac rehabilitation programs]

In the past 20 years there has been a steady improvement in the short-term prognosis of patients with myocardial infarction, following the introduction of beta blockers, thrombolysis, and aspirin. Cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention also has contributed to this improvement. However, the development cardiac rehabilitation is limited and not fully developed in Europe. Multiple reasons are related to the underuse of rehabilitation, between then the increase of economical cost associated rehabilitation services. The participation in comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation show and lower cardiac rehospitalization costs. Also, earlier return to work and less pension cost in patients included in cardiac rehabilitation. Several studies had confirmed rehabilitation programs are more cost-effective, in QALYs terms, that some drugs. Then, cardiac rehabilitation is an efficient health-care resource, and may be economically justified.