WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers want to increase the use of cardiac rehabilitation to more than the one in five patients currently using such medical services.
Lead author Dr. Jose A. Suaya, of Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., found that women participated less in cardiac rehabilitation than did men, older people less than younger people and non-whites significantly less than whites.
The study, published in the journal Circulation, also discovered geographical differences -- only 6.6 percent of the patients in Idaho used cardiac rehabilitation versus 53.5 percent in Nebraska.
"We need to find ways to increase the use of cardiac rehabilitation, because it is used very little by patients who could benefit a lot," Suaya said in a statement.
The researchers evaluated 267,427 Medicare patients following a heart attack or coronary bypass surgery in 1997. Almost 19 percent of patients had at least one session of cardiac rehabilitation. Bypass patients were far more likely to receive rehabilitation than patients who had a heart attack.
Cardiac rehabilitation consists of monitored exercise to improve cardiovascular fitness, as well as assistance in making lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking, improving diet and reducing stress.
