Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a multidisciplinary intervention including patient assessment and medical actions to promote stabilisation, management of cardiovascular risk factors, vocational support, psychosocial management, physical activity counselling, and prescription of exercise training (ET).
Millions of people with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) live in Europe and their numbers are progressively increasing, therefore large subsets of patients admitted in CR facilities have a CIED. Cardiac rehabilitation is a unique opportunity, not only to optimise medical treatment, increase exercise capacity, and improve patient physical and mental condition but also to supervise the correct functioning of the device and to reassure the patient with the CIED about physical activity. These patients should receive special attention, as their needs may differ from other patients participating in CR.
As evidence from studies of CR in patients with CIED is sparse, detailed clinical practice guidelines are lacking.
Here, we aim to provide practical recommendations for CR in CIED recipients in order to increase CR implementation, efficacy, and safety in this subset of patients. This clinical consensus document from the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) is expected to improve the implementation of adequate comprehensive CR in patients with CIEDs, fulfilling a previous gap in recommendations and providing treatment optimisation of these patients.
Our mission: To reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.