AUSTRALIANS who have experienced a cardiac incident can lower their risk of death by completing a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program.
A new study published in the journal Heart, Lung and Circulation found the specialised programs, which combine support, exercise and education, reduced risk of death and hospital readmission by 38% within the following 12 months.
However, these programs aren't being used to their full potential, with only a third of eligible participants referred to cardiac rehabilitation and of those, only 36% started the program.
The review showed patients who were female, older or suffered from other conditions such as cancer, stroke or obesity were less likely to be referred, while depression and long waiting times deterred patients from starting.
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