Current control of patient body composition after a contemporary cardiac rehabilitation program: the ReCardio registry

Abstract Objective The objective of this study is to evaluate the clinical characteristics and body composition profile of patients completing contemporary cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs across Spain, using data from the prospective, multicentre ReCardio national registry. Methods We conducted a prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional registry including consecutive adult patients with ischaemic heart disease (acute coronary syndrome, chronic coronary syndrome, or prior coronary revascularization) who completed a CR program in seven Spanish centres between October 2024 and October 2025. Each centre enrolled the first five consecutive eligible patients attending their discharge visit every month. Data were pseudonymized and captured in a unified web-based platform (NaeviaMedical®), enabling structured data entry, semantic interoperability through SNOMED CT, and optional natural-language processing for automated variable extraction. This interim analysis included the first 244 patients. An external independent company performed the statistical analysis. Continuous variables were summarized as mean ± SD or median (IQR), and categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. Paired comparisons between baseline and discharge metrics were conducted using the Wilcoxon paired-samples test. Results Our findings show significant improvements across all evaluated body composition parameters. Mean body weight decreased from 82 ± 14 kg at baseline to 80 ± 13 kg at discharge (–1.9 kg, p 0.001), paralleled by a reduction in BMI from 28.9 ± 4.5 to 28.2 ± 4.1 kg/m² (–0.63 kg/m², p 0.001). Waist circumference also improved, decreasing from 102.8 ± 17 cm to 99.1 ± 11 cm (–3.6 cm, p 0.001). Body fat percentage declined as well, from 30.8 ± 9.4% to 28.6 ± 8.7% (–2.2%, p 0.001). Despite these positive changes in body composition, 30% of patients remained with a BMI 30 kg/m². Only 9.3% of our population was receiving treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonists. This finding underscores a meaningful opportunity for improvement and highlights the need for extended follow-up to optimize obesity management in Phase III CR. Conclusions CR programs evaluated in Spain, enabled patients to significantly improve their body composition, underscoring the value of CR as a comprehensive tool for achieving weight-management goals as a cornerstone of secondary prevention in patients with ischaemic heart disease.For image description, please refer to the figure legend and surrounding text. For image description, please refer to the figure legend and surrounding text.