Review of best practice in cardiac rehabilitation for women

Purpose: Cardiovascular disease is defined as damage to, or narrowing of, arteries due to atherosclerosis and is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity among women worldwide. Cardiovascular disease is recognized to be both a leading cause of mortality and an undertreated condition for women. The goals of this review manuscript are to present the current background literature specific to cardiac rehabilitation programs for women and serve as a knowledge translation strategy to help raise therapists’ awareness of the need for cardiac rehabilitation programs specifically designed for female patients. Methods: A review of best practice literature in cardiac rehabilitation for women. Results: With current increasing trends in risk factors, including stress, obesity, poor diet, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle, the future burden could be overwhelming from the perspective of individuals’ health and health authorities’ resources. Conclusions: Emerging research clearly demonstrates the need for cardiac rehabilitation programs tailored for women and highlighting the unique features of program delivery that can reduce the risk of under-referral and treatment program dropout.