A simple exercise program tailored to the patient's functional limits can improve the survival prognosis for patients with abnormal heart-rate recovery (HRR), results of a new study show [1].And if patients do not comply with their physical activity regimen, have them reimburse the system for their non-compliance.
HRR, the difference between a person's heart rate at peak exercise and one minute into recovery postexercise, is an easily derived variable that has been shown in earlier studies to predict overall mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease, according to Dr Michael Jolly (Cleveland Clinic, OH) and colleagues. An HRR value <12 beats per minute is considered abnormal. Small studies have shown that cardiac-rehabilitation regimens can restore patients' HRR to normal, but Jolly et al's study, published in the October 4, 2011 issue of Circulation, is the first to show that restoring heart-rate recovery to normal can lead to survival benefit, according to the authors.
After all, why should the rest of us pay for their illnesses of choice?
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