Exercise programs for LVAD supported patients: A snapshot from the ESC affiliated countries.

Background: To contribute to the protocol development of exercise training in LVAD supported patients by reviewing the exercise programs for those patients in the ESC affiliated countries.

Methods: A subset of data from 77 (26 countries) LVAD implanting centers that participated in the Extra-HF survey (170 centers) was analyzed.

Results: Of the 77 LVAD implanting centers, 45 (58%) reported to have a functioning exercise training program (ETP) for LVAD patients.

ExtraHF survey: the first European survey on implementation of exercise training in heart failure patients.

Aims: In heart failure (HF), exercise training programmes (ETPs) are a well-recognized intervention to improve symptoms, but are still poorly implemented. The Heart Failure Association promoted a survey to investigate whether and how cardiac centres in Europe are using ETPs in their HF patients.

Methods And Results: The co-ordinators of the HF working groups of the countries affiliated to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) distributed and promoted the 12-item web-based questionnaire in the key cardiac centres of their countries.

Challenges in secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases: a review of the current practice.

With the changing demography of populations and increasing prevalence of co-morbidity, frail patients and more complex cardiac conditions, the modern medicine is facing novel challenges leading to rapid innovation where evidence and experiences are lacking. This scenario is also evident in cardiovascular disease prevention, which continuously needs to accommodate its ever changing strategies, settings, and goals. The present paper summarises actual challenges of secondary prevention, and discusses how this intervention should not only be effective but also efficient.

Lower extremities peripheral arterial disease among patients admitted to cardiac rehabilitation: the THINKPAD registry.

Background/objectives: Lower extremities peripheral arterial disease (LE-PAD) across the wide range of conditions for Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is poorly understood. The "ATHerosclerosis of the lower extremIties as a liNKed comorbidity in Patients Admitted for carDiac rehabilitation" (THINKPAD) registry explored LE-PAD in CR patients in terms of prevalence and interventions delivered.

Methods: Multicenter, consecutive case series of 1506 patients discharged from 16 CR Units in Italy from May 1 to June 30, 2012.

Secondary prevention in the clinical management of patients with cardiovascular diseases. Core components, standards and outcome measures for referral and delivery: a policy statement from the cardiac rehabilitation section of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation. Endorsed by the Committee for Practice Guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology.

Despite major improvements in diagnostics and interventional therapies, cardiovascular diseases remain a major health care and socio-economic burden both in western and developing countries, in which this burden is increasing in close correlation to economic growth. Health authorities and the general population have started to recognize that the fight against these diseases can only be won if their burden is faced by increasing our investment on interventions in lifestyle changes and prevention. There is an overwhelming evidence of the efficacy of secondary prevention initiatives including cardiac rehabilitation in terms of reduction in morbidity and mortality.