Women May Benefit From Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs Tailored to Their Specific Needs.

Abstract

Women are much less likely than men to complete cardiac rehabilitation with only ≈15% to 20% of eligible women participating in comparison with 22% to 30% of eligible men. There are many reasons for this divide. Women are less likely to receive a referral for cardiac rehabilitation than men (39.6% versus 49.4%) even though the American Heart Association’s guidelines for treating women with cardiovascular disease recommend rehabilitation. “Women are less likely to get referred,” said Sherry L. Grace, a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University and the University Health Network in Toronto. “We also know that if they are referred they are less likely to go. There are structural and system barriers that we still need to address and overcome.” The onset of heart disease is often later in women than in men, and many women may be widowed, not able to drive, or otherwise lack the support they need to get to rehabilitation sessions, Grace explained. They may find exercising tiring or painful. They also may have caregiver responsibilities that hold them back from participating. “They put their family responsibilities in front of their health,” she said. To help boost women’s participation, some studies have found that tailoring cardiac rehabilitation programs …