Recent Research Core Findings
Many studies increasingly highlight the need for gender-specific approaches to prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. And, of note, national data suggest that women may not receive optimal care after heart attack, the best predictor of long term health outcome. Consequently, a key current focus of the Research Core on Cardiovascular Health is investigating gender differences in post-heart attack care.
We have shown that:
- Completion of cardiac rehabilitation programs improves clinical and behavioral outcomes after a cardiac event, and reduces the chance of dying.
- Women are at greater risk of not completing cardiac rehabilitation; yet if women complete cardiac rehabilitation, the considerable benefit is comparable to that experienced by men.
- Women are more likely to participate in and complete cardiac rehabilitation if stress-reducing interventions are included as part of the program.
- Smoking cessation is an important part of success in cardiac rehabilitation, and women who smoke or have ever smoked need specialized interventions to reach the goals of cardiac rehabilitation.
Participation in comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation reduces the risk of all-cause 60-day readmission after acute myocardial infarction.
Importantly, these findings are now being used by healthcare professionals and patients in the clinical decision-making process in our inter-institutional collaboration with the McConnell Heart Health Center in Columbus, Ohio - a high volume clinical facility which serves thousands of patients per year.
