The most effective treatment for heart ailments is one that most patients never get.

According to a new cardiac rehabilitation study published in a recent issue of the American Heart Association journal Circulation, only 10 to 20 percent of heart patients get exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation services after hospitalization.

Quinton Q-Tel treadmill for cardiac rehab

A study of more than 30,000 Medicare patients who did participate in cardiac rehabilitation found that the longer they participated in such programs, the more their health improved. Cardiac rehabilitation is tailored to each patient’s needs, but typically includes patient education and medically supervised exercises, often on a cardiac treadmill with cardiac monitoring capabilities.

The study, led by Duke University researchers, followed Medicare patients who had been hospitalized for heart attack, bypass surgery, or other heart-related events. Medicare patients are eligible for up to 36 cardiac rehabilitation sessions following such hospitalizations, but most attend few, or no, treatments.

In some cases, researchers said, patients began the sessions but then stopped attending. In many others cases, doctors never referred the patients for any cardiac rehabilitation at all.

Researchers found that at the end of the four-year study, patients who took full advantage of the cardiac rehabilitation offered (attending all 36 sessions) were considerably healthier than non-participating peers. They were 47 percent less likely to die than patients who attended only one session, 23 percent less likely to die than patients who attended only 12 sessions, and 12 percent less likely to die than patients who went to 24 appointments.

“Our findings indicate that more cardiac rehabilitation is better in almost every situation,” Hammill told WebMD. “It may be that people who finish 36 sessions are already healthier or more diligent about their health. Or it may be that the programs really do change behaviors and lower risk.”

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• Quinton Q-Tel Cardiac Rehabilitation System
• Quinton CR60 Cardiac Rehabilitation Treadmill

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