Rehab beneficial in spontaneous coronary artery dissection

(HealthDay)—Many patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) participate in cardiac rehabilitation (CR), and most patients report benefit, according to a study published in the May 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

Chayakrit Krittanawong, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues studied a cohort of 354 patients with confirmed SCAD to further understand the role of CR. Medical records and questionnaires were reviewed to obtain data about demographics, clinical characteristics, mental health status, and details regarding CR participation and experience.

The researchers found that at the time of SCAD, participants were 46 ± 10 years old and 96 percent were women. Seventy-six percent attended one or more CR session, with an average of 18 ± 12 sessions. Overall, 82 and 75 percent of participants reported CR-related physical and emotional benefits, respectively. Fifty-seven of 85 non-CR participants reported not participating because their health care provider had not recommended CR; other reasons included inadequate transportation, no insurance coverage, cost, lack of energy, being too unwell, and miscellaneous comments (ten, seven, two, two, two, and five patients, respectively).

"Three of four of patients with SCAD participated in CR, most of whom reported benefit," the authors write. "Lack of recommendation for CR by a health care provider was the primary reason patients did not participate."