Metrics details. This study compared outcomes in women electing to participate in mixed-sex, women-only, or home-based CR, and a matched sample of men. In this retrospective study, electronic records of CR participants in Toronto who were offered the choice of program model between January and July were analyzed; clinical outcomes comprised cardiorespiratory fitness, risk factors and psychosocial well-being.
These were assessed at intake and postmonth program and analyzed using general linear mixed models. There were patients women [ Participation in non-gender-tailored women-only CR was not advantageous as expected.
More research is needed, particularly including women participating in home-based programs. Peer Review reports. Cardiovascular Disease CVD is the leading cause of morbidity Furthermore, women with CVD experience worse outcomes than men [ 2 ], with higher mortality rates following myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention PCI , and coronary artery bypass graft CABG surgery [ 3 , 4 ].
Cardiac rehabilitation CR is an outpatient, comprehensive model of care for secondary prevention, which can mitigate the above burden. These programs are generally offered in clinical centres under supervision. CR has been shown to improve outcomes, including quality of life [ 5 ], hospital readmission rates, revascularization rates [ 6 ], and mortality [ 7 ]. Clearly, women are in great need of these services given their poorer cardiovascular outcomes, outlined above.
Given the observational data on the benefits in women as well [ 11 , 12 , 13 ], the clinical practice guidelines for women with CVD recommend referral to CR [ 14 ]. However, CR utilization is sub-optimal [ 15 ], and even lower in women [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Moreover, home-based models i. Equivalent outcomes are observed with home-based and supervised programs, however most participants in the Cochrane review were men [ 27 ].
