Modern cardiac rehabilitation: Integrating the best measures to reduce a second cardiac event.

Patients with established cardiovascular disease are at high risk for future myocardial infarction, stroke, and death. Interventions that may reduce recurrent cardiovascular events serve a critical role in improving both long-term morbidity and mortality. Cardiac rehabilitation following a cardiac event has been modernized with the integration of coronary risk factor reduction programs in addition to its traditional role of early graded mobilization of the patient and has been shown to significantly benefit men and women with coronary heart disease.