Cardiac rehabilitation stories

Sep 18, 2026

New Cochrane review finds cardiac rehabilitation reduces hospital admissions by third, heart attack risk by over quarter

An updated Cochrane meta-analysis shows exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation significantly reduces hospital admissions by one-third and heart attack risk by more than 25% in coronary heart disease patients, with benefits persisting long-term. The review also endorses home-based cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Sep 18, 20262 sources

Top claims

▪Despite evidence-backed benefits, cardiac rehabilitation remains underused, with England having a 44.5% uptake and Wales having a 71.3% uptake for acute coronary syndrome patients according to the 2025 National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation report.
▪The September 2026 Cochrane review included trials testing traditional and cultural forms of exercise, such as yoga in India and tai chi in China, which may improve appeal for some populations.
▪The September 2026 Cochrane review update added 22 new trials featuring just under 3,500 participants to the previous 2021 review, which had analyzed 85 trials with 23,430 people.

Subtopics

Cardiovascular training1 Drug Approval and Clinical Trials1 Exercise & fitness optimization1 Injury prevention1

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