2016 Volume 62 Issue Suppl.1 Pages 29-37
The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) has increased over the last several decades in Japanese population. Recent epidemiological studies have indicated that the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (MI) has increased, particularly in the urban areas of Japan. Previous data have strongly supported the important role of lifestyle intervention, including physical activity and dietary modification to improve glucose and insulin homeostasis, lipid profiles, and other risk factors for the prevention of CAD. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a comprehensive intervention that includes supervised exercise training, risk factor control, patient education, and psychosocial counseling. CR has been reported to be effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular events through intensive lifestyle modification. However, the implementation of CR is still low even in academic cardiovascular institutes. In this review, we will discuss the recent status and problems regarding the safety and efficacy of CR and will discuss the future directions of CR in patients with CAD in Japan.
