Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - 19

HOW CARDIAC
REHAB WORKS
What Cox didn't know then is
that anyone who has had a heart attack,
heart surgery or another serious heartrelated condition can beneﬁt greatly
from cardiac rehab. It's a program of
exercise, nutrition and stress reduction
designed to help gradually improve the
health of the heart.
Phase 1 of cardiac rehab begins in
the hospital, says John Osborne, MD,
PhD, a cardiologist and spokesman for
the American Heart Association. This
phase involves getting the patient out
of bed in addition to providing hearthealth education.
Then, phase 2 is typically three
times a week at a rehab facility for
12 weeks. During this time, the patient
might do resistance training, ride a
stationary bike and walk on a treadmill. Over time, as the heart gets
stronger, "your exercise is gradually
increased," Osborne says.
Participants are monitored closely
during exercise. Their blood pressure
and heart rhythms are checked constantly. Counseling on diet and lifestyle
factors is also a key component.
And while the physical beneﬁts of
cardiac rehab are undeniable, Osborne
says, the camaraderie and support of
these programs are just as important.
For Cox, the upbeat, encouraging
staﬀ at her cardiac rehab facility and
the supportive fellow participants made
a diﬀerence.
"If I wasn't having a good day, I
could go to cardiac rehab and feel better. The whole thing just lifted my
spirits," she says. "I was working to
do better, and there were other people
doing the same thing."
Phase 3 of cardiac rehab is more
open-ended, Osborne says. Patients typically exercise on their own at the same
facility where they completed phase 2;
it's an ongoing maintenance phase to
keep up the gains made. Cox, now 68, is
in phase 3.

EVENT

Learn More About Cardiovascular Care
Want to better understand the beneﬁts of cardiovascular care? Join us for
"Sweet Hearts" on Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. at La Cita Country Club in Titusville.
The event is free, but seating is limited. RSVP by calling 321-268-6110 or
visiting parrishvigor.com/events.

GIVING IT
A CHANCE
Studies have shown that
cardiac rehab leads to a reduced risk of
both hospital readmission and death, in
addition to lower anxiety, depression,
hostility and stress.
"Cardiac rehab has been shown to
have a dramatic eﬀect on recovery,"
Osborne says.
Even so, a lot of patients don't go.
Experts estimate participation rates to
be around 20 to 30 percent. For some,
the time commitment and insurance
challenges are barriers, but those can be
ﬁgured out, Osborne says. The important thing, he notes, is for physicians to
make the referral and for the patient to
be motivated and engaged.
When he works with patients,
Osborne strives to make sure they
understand the importance of rehab in
the recovery process.
"I say, 'The single most important
thing you'll do is cardiac rehab,' " he
says. "I drum that message in every
time I see them so they understand this
is important."
For Cox, despite her early skepticism,
cardiac rehab made a diﬀerence. Her
ejection fraction percentage, which was
20 when she left the hospital, returned
to 40 percent after several weeks of
cardiac rehab.
"That's back to where I was before the
congestive heart failure diagnosis," she
says. "I cried when I found out. I'd never
dreamed I'd get back to that." ■

MAXIMIZE
YOUR REHAB
POWER
You've accepted the referral, and
you're ready for cardiac rehab. Now
how do you get the most out of
this experience?
Here are a few ideas from
Biju Mathews, MD, medical director
of Parrish Medical Center's
Cardiovascular Services.
3 Indulge in the support. It's
natural to experience anxiety after a
cardiac event, but there's an upside.
"You're making a behavior change,
with the support of a care team at
your side throughout the process," Dr.
Mathews says. Harness that energy.
3 Track your health. "When
people monitor their behaviors, they
are more successful at changing their
behaviors," Dr. Mathews says. That
could be using an app or a journal to
record stress, exercise or food. Then,
study the data with your doctor and
work on improving your habits.
3 Keep up the good work. After
completing cardiac rehabilitation,
continue those healthier habits.
Some cardiac rehab programs
provide transition into health and
ﬁtness programs. "Parrish Medical
Center cardiac rehab graduates
can become members of Parrish
Health & Fitness Center," Dr.
Mathews says. "The professionals
there work with the rehab care team
to develop an exercise plan."

WINTE R 2017

19
http://www.parrishvigor.com/events
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