Cardiac rehabilitation in the elderly patient in eight rehabilitation units in Western Europe. Baseline data from the EU-CaRE multicentre observational study:

BackgroundDue to the progressive deconditioning, comorbidities and higher complication rates, elderly patients are in particular need of cardiac rehabilitation. We compared elderly patients (65+ years old) participating in cardiac rehabilitation, focusing on baseline characteristics, risk factor control and functional assessment.MethodsThe EU-CaRE study is a prospective study comparing cardiac rehabilitation in eight centres across Western Europe. Consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome, stable coronary artery disease and heart valve replacement undergoing cardiac rehabilitation were included.ResultsOf 1633 patients (median age 72 years) participating, 54% had acute coronary syndrome, 33% had stable coronary artery disease and 13% followed valve replacement. Fifty-five per cent had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention and 29% coronary artery bypass grafting. Characteristics varied across centres: 23% (17–27%) were women, 4% (0–12%) were of non-European origin and 16% (4–32%) were living ...