If you’re one of the more than 1.2 million people in the U.S. and Canada who have had a heart attack in the past year, there’s a class that could dramatically lower your odds of having another Big One in the next 12 months. But chances are you’ve never heard of it.
Cardiac rehab may be the best-kept secret in 21st-century cardiology. Study after study proves that these safe, supervised exercise classes slash the risk of repeat heart attacks and other heart-related deaths. Yet fewer than 20 percent of heart patients ever do CR, and fewer than 12 percent get a full course of CR.
How great is cardiac rehab? It can cut your risk of subsequent heart attacks within a year by a whopping 50 percent, according to a recent Brandeis University study of more than 600,000 people. That’s huge. CR works its cardio wonders by lowering lousy LDL cholesterol, raising healthy HDL, reducing dangerous inflammation, dialing back heart-threatening metabolic syndrome, easing depression and even trimming excess pounds. In one study of 1,821 heart attack survivors, 95 percent of those who took CR classes were still alive three years later, compared with just 46 percent of those who didn’t.
Expensive? No way. Government and most private insurance plans cover the cost (the most recent survey found reimbursement for this to be about a mere $34 an hour. Some say the reason referrals for CR are so low is that hospitals lose money on it). So responsibility for the ticker-training gap falls both on busy doctors and people who don’t bother to attend these classes. Because they’re such a powerful way to stay alive (not to mention help you fit back into your skinny jeans!), we want you to know how to sign up — and make the most of them.
You’re a candidate for CR if you’ve had any of these: a heart attack, bypass surgery, stents to avoid a heart attack, heart-valve surgery, worsening heart failure or worsening angina (chest pain that’s a sign of heart disease). If your doc doesn’t mention CR, ask! And don’t be afraid of the classes: They’re geared to your ability (yes, even if you haven’t been off the couch since Richard Nixon was president) and are staffed by medical professionals who monitor your exercise so you don’t overdo it.
Be the star pupil. Signed up? Way to go. Now mark the workouts on your calendar in pen — and consider them unbreakable appointments. In a recent study of 30,000 people who signed up for 36 rehab classes, perfect attendance reduced the risk for a repeat heart attack an extra 12 percent over those who made it to just 24 classes.
Women: Look for an all-female class. Women are more vulnerable than men to dangerous bouts of depression after a heart attack. In a University of South Florida study, a women-only rehab program countered depression better than a mixed class, thanks to extra support and information, which boosted confidence and motivation. If you can’t find a strictly female program, look for a class with a female instructor.
Keep going. Medicare and most private insurance cover 36 sessions. That’s a great start. But you need at least nine months of regular workouts to really cut heart attack and death risk, and you should keep on exercising for the rest of your life. If insurance won’t spring for extra sessions, ask your doctor and the rehab staff to give you a smart, at-home routine. Make sure they spell out how much exercise you need and what to do (besides stop!) if you develop chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath or nausea.
Bring your iPod. Heart surgery and stiff, clogged arteries can dull your thinking, but music can sharpen it again. In one CR study, those who sweated along to “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi scored twice as high on a verbal test as those who worked out in silence. Doesn’t have to be classical: Any rhythmic, upbeat tunes should work, from Beyonce to Benny Goodman.
The YOU Docs, Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen, are authors of “YOU: On a Diet.” To submit questions, visit realage.com.
