Who is a good candidate for this cardiac rehab program, and who should avoid it?
Ideal candidates include patients who have recently experienced a heart attack, undergone coronary artery bypass surgery, or received angioplasty/stenting. Those with stable angina or heart failure also benefit. Contraindications include unstable angina, uncontrolled arrhythmias, severe heart failure (NYHA class IV), or acute myocarditis. A pre-program cardiac evaluation is mandatory to ensure safety. Patients must be medically stable and able to perform light to moderate exercise under monitoring.