Clarissa Giselle MartÃnez Gómez
MedicalNet,Dominican Republic
Title: Effectiveness of the physiotherapist's role in cardiac rehabilitation as an adjunctive therapy in cardiac patients
Biography
Biography: Clarissa Giselle MartÃnez Gómez
Abstract
The main objective of Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is to accomplish the optimal cardiac functional status of patients, based on continuous monitoring of standardized exercise, which induces and enhances the patient's confidence, thus maintaining their independence and improves their quality of life. A study published by Pichardo R. et al in our country in 2011 at the Congress, determined a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors including inadequate lifestyle changes such as a sedentary existence, making a direct effect on cardiometabolic diseases. Now there is a sufficient evidence to ascertain the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation in reducing the long-term mortality (20-30%) of the patients who assist to this type of adjuvant treatment. Since 1940s’ the focus of the CR has had productive changes. Nowadays, this type of program with physical exercises requires the presence of a physiotherapist as a part of care providing team, knowing that their expertise relies on a vast musculoskeletal knowledge supporting the optimal performance of cardiac routine exercises and at the same time avoiding possible injuries that could affect their physical performance in activities of daily living. The patients who referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program have shown dramatic positive outcomes like improvement in functional status, psychological status and cardiovascular risk factors improved by inducing a better quality of life and conversely decreasing mortality and morbidity.