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Cardiac Rehabilitation Following Acute Coronary Syndrome in Women

  • Women’s Health (M Wood, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Opinion statement

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is among the leading burdens of disease among women. It is a significant driver of morbidity and chronically undermines their quality of life. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is indicated for ACS patients in clinical practice guidelines, including those specifically for women. CR is a multi-component model of care, proven to reduce mortality and morbidity, including in women. However, women are significantly less likely to be referred to CR by providers, and if they are referred, to enroll and adhere to programs. Reasons include lack of physician encouragement, preference not to feel fatigue and pain, transportation barriers, comorbidities and caregiving obligations. Strategies to mitigate this under-use include systematic early inpatient referral, tailoring programs to meet women’s needs and preferences (e.g., offering dance, opportunities for social interaction), and offering non-supervised delivery models. Unfortunately, these strategies are not widely available to women. Given the greater longevity seen in women, the critical role CR plays in augmenting quality of life in this population must be recognized and care providers must do more to facilitate referral to and encourage participating in CR programs.

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References and Recommended Reading

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Acknowledgements

Professor Grace acknowledges support from the Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospital Foundation and the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, 1514 Jefferson Hwy, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Amanda L. Bennett MD

  2. Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, 1514 Jefferson Hwy, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Carl J. Lavie MD

  3. School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University & University Health Network, Bethune 368-4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, M3J1P3, Canada

    Sherry L. Grace PhD

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  1. Amanda L. Bennett MD
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Correspondence to Carl J. Lavie MD.

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Amanda L. Bennett, Carl J. Lavie, and Sherry L. Grace each declare no potential conflicts of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Women’s Health

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Bennett, A.L., Lavie, C.J. & Grace, S.L. Cardiac Rehabilitation Following Acute Coronary Syndrome in Women. Curr Treat Options Cardio Med 19, 57 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11936-017-0559-x

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