Efficacy studies in coronary rehabilitation.
Demand for cardiac rehabilitation services is likely to increase as the prevalence of coronary heart disease increases due to aging of the population and as interventions such as thrombolysis, revascularization, and cardiac transplantation allow more patients to participate in structured exercise programs. In this era of cost containment, advocates of the rehabilitation process must demonstrate which rehabilitation services are efficacious. Optimal training intensities and frequencies in different patient groups must be defined, innovative approaches to improve long-term adherence to the prescribed exercise regimen have to be developed, and interactions between exercise training and other interventions such as diet, weight loss, and pharmacologic therapy must be explored in detail to provide the most desirable long-term outcomes.
Bittner
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Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama, Birmingham.
Oberman
A
A
D002423:Cause of Death; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012008:Recurrence; D015996:Survival Rate