Written By: Dr Aashish Contractor | Updated : August 6, 2013 11:42 AM IST
If you've had a heart attack or any other serious heart problem or surgery, chances are that you're highly anxious about everything - what to eat, what not to eat, to exercise or not to, what kind of exercise is safe for your condition etc. Cardiac rehabilitation is the answer! Our expert Dr Aashish Contractor, a leading preventive Cardiologist, tells us how you can keep yourself fit and healthy even after a heart attack. An avid marathoner, Dr Contractor is known for his exemplary cardiac rehabilitative techniques.
Anybody who has had heart disease or is at high risk for heart disease would be a candidate for cardiac rehabilitation. It could be someone who has had a heart attack, a bypass surgery, an angioplasty, an angiography showing blockages, a heart valve replacement, a heart failure (low pumping capacity), etc. People who are at high-risk of developing heart disease would also be candidates. An example would be a 45-year-old office executive who smokes occasionally, has high blood pressure, borderline sugar level and is overweight. Such a person is at risk for heart disease in the future and should be considered for cardiac rehabilitation.
There are two goals of cardiac rehabilitation. The first is to get a person who has recently suffered heart attack, undergone bypass surgery or angioplasty, back to the normal routine as quickly and as safely as possible. The second goal is to work with a high risk person and his/her risk profile to make sure that we reduce their future, long term risk for heart disease.
Individuals are assessed by taking their detailed history, especially of their risk factors, and evaluating them. They are monitored under a programme regularly, normally three times a week. Their ECG is monitored remotely by telemetry monitoring.
The main focus of the cardiac rehabilitation programme is on reducing the risk factors. Patients' blood pressure and, if diabetic, blood sugar is measured regularly. Their diet is altered and efforts are made to reduce stress. They are advised a mild exercise plan.
