Mending broken hearts — the vital blood-pumping organs that have gone through surgical repairs, transplant or heart attacks — was the focus of new research released on Valentine’s Day.

• Cardiac rehab programs, reduce death rates by 25 per cent for heart patients
• Ensure that heart patients get automatically referred at the rehab as they’re leaving the hospital
• People who have had chest pain or angina could also benefit
• Rehab costs much less than a bypass surgery
• Pt, 55yrs/Male, with atrial fibrillation — an irregular heartbeat — after finding himself short of breath and unable to walk up stairs, the cardiologist referred him to a 33-session program of cardiac rehab.
• They would take pulse, blood pressure before he exercised, and all the exercises were monitored. They would keep track of his weight and he lost weight.
• He received information about getting exercise, quitting smoking, changing diet and other issues.
• People with heart conditions should talk to their doctor about getting into a cardiac rehab program
• Although in-person cardiac programs might not be available in rural areas, but home-based cardiac rehab can be beneficial.
• Patients receive an educational pamphlet and receive telephone calls at regular intervals from staff at a rehab program.

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