Change in Profile of Entrants in a Brazilian Large Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Service.
BACKGROUND
There are references regarding physical activity and cardiovascular disease since the nineteenth century. New evidences support that cardiac rehabilitation is closely related to therapeutic success after major coronary events. Although the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation programs are well established, referencing and enrolment in such services remain low.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper is to describe the profile changes throughout the years in a large cardiac rehabilitation service in Brazil.


METHODS
This is a retrospective analysis of medical records of all patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation service of the Institute of Sports Medicine, University of Caxias do Sul from March 2003 to July 2014. Data collection was carried out using SPSS software and the statistical analysis with Student's t-test, ANOVA test and chi square test.


RESULTS
It has seen a substantial increase of patients, mostly routed via universal health system, also an increase of post-myocardial infarction patients and ex-smokers. Also, it was seen few patients in the 7th and 8th life decades, and men were in majority since the beginning.


CONCLUSIONS
An increase in the number of patients referred by universal health system occurred because there is a governmental interest in this type of program. About tobacco, hospitalizations appear to be influential in the decision of abandonment. There was a substantial increase of patients with more severe disease which is in accordance with the latest guidelines of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Rehabilitation.
University of Caxias do Sul - Institute of Sports Medicine, Rua Francisco Getúlio Vargas, 1130, Caxias do Sul 95070-560, Brazil.
Pietro Felice Tomazini
PF
Nesello
University of Caxias do Sul - Institute of Sports Medicine, Rua Francisco Getúlio Vargas, 1130, Caxias do Sul 95070-560, Brazil.
Guilherme
G
Foletto
University of Caxias do Sul - Institute of Sports Medicine, Rua Francisco Getúlio Vargas, 1130, Caxias do Sul 95070-560, Brazil.
Eduardo Pflug
EP
Comparsi
University of Caxias do Sul - Institute of Sports Medicine, Rua Francisco Getúlio Vargas, 1130, Caxias do Sul 95070-560, Brazil.
Olga Sergueevna
OS
Tairova
Cardiovascular prevention; Cardiovascular rehabilitation; Cardiovascular rehabilitation referencing; Cardiovascular risk factors; Coronary artery disease