Fueling Cardiac Comebacks
March 22, 2021
Cindy Thomas, RN
Cardiac rehabilitation at Huron Regional Medical Center gives patients the knowledge and confidence to shape a healthier future and prevent additional heart problems.
Cardiac rehabilitation features medically supervised exercise and education about heart disease risk factors. This program may begin in the hospital following a heart injury or surgery, but its most important component is 12 weeks of outpatient sessions. That is when patients gradually build up their exercise ability using treadmills, stationary bicycles, rowing machines and other equipment, all while cardiac rehabilitation nurses monitor their progress.
Patients also work with the nurses, a dietitian and other providers to learn how to make healthy lifestyle changes that can improve their heart health.
“We individualize our program for each patient because not everyone has the same risk factors,” says Cindy Thomas, RN, cardiac ehabilitation nurse at HRMC. “Some patients may be dealing with diabetes, others with smoking, so we address each patient’s needs. A physician medical director versees the program and the development of treatment plans for our patients, which we regularly update.”
Participating in cardiac rehabilitation can have long-lasting benefits. It can improve strength, reduce chest pain and other heart-related symptoms, prevent depression, increase energy, and reduce risk of death following a heart attack or bypass surgery, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more information, visit our ProRehab page.
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