The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines on cardiac rehabilitation have been published online today in the European Heart Journal. The new guidelines will be presented at ESC Congress 2026 on Aug. 31.
Cardiac rehabilitation is a personalized program designed to help patients manage their cardiac disease and recover from a cardiac event or heart operation. Until now, recommendations on cardiac rehabilitation have been included in ESC Guidelines related to specific situations, such as after a heart attack and in patients with heart failure.
For the first time, international experts have brought together the best available evidence on cardiac rehabilitation across different heart conditions. They have compiled a comprehensive document on its benefits, optimal components, modes of delivery and implementation, and the patients for whom it should be recommended.
"Cardiac rehabilitation is one of the most effective treatments in cardiovascular care, providing positive effects beyond medication or surgery alone," said ESC Guidelines Task Force chair Professor Maria Bäck from Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
"Despite the growing number of people living with cardiovascular diseases, cardiac rehabilitation is still underused across Europe and elsewhere. The new guidelines provide the opportunity to highlight the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation and also include practical information on how it should be implemented, which is lacking in some guidelines focused on specific conditions."
