title: Cardiac rehabilitation of a 77-year-old male runner: consideration of the athlete, not the age.
abstract: A 77-year-old geologist with coronary artery disease enrolled in our cardiac rehabilitation program after successful placement of a drug-eluting stent. Unlike the typical sedentary cardiac patient in his age group, he loved to run. He expressed a strong desire to return to his sport, and completion of a self-assessment scale confirmed his high level of athletic identity. Despite the patient's advanced age and long history of unstable blood pressure, we were able to design a special exercise program that enabled him to train safely and thereby reach his goal. When developing a cardiac rehabilitation plan, health care professionals should consider the patient's athletic identity, not just his or her chronological age.
authors.affiliation: Walter I. Berman Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Department, Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital (Adams) and the Institute for Health Care Research and Improvement, Baylor Health Care System (Cheng), Dallas, Texas. Jack Schmid, BSc, is a private consultant.
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Dunlei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cheng