Multidisciplinary cardiac rehabilitation (CR) reduces morbidity and mortality and increases quality of life in cardiac patients. However, CR utilisation rates are low, and targets for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease are not met in the majority of patients, indicating that secondary prevention programmes such as CR leave room for improvement. Cardiac telerehabilitation (CTR) may resolve several barriers that impede CR utilisation and sustainability of its effects. In CTR, one or more modules of CR are delivered outside the environment of the hospital or CR centre, using monitoring devices and remote communication with patients. Multidisciplinary CTR is a safe and at least equally (cost-)effective alternative to centre-based CR, and is therefore recommended in a recent addendum to the Dutch multidisciplinary CR guidelines. In this article, we describe the background

Hartcoach has modest impact on BMI, waist circumference, physical activity, intake of vegetables, self-management and anxiety. Therefore, it may be a useful maintenance programme in addition to usual care, to support patients with recent coronary events to improve self-management and reduce risk factors.

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Background and Aims Low-dose colchicine reduces cardiovascular risk in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), but absolute benefits may vary between individuals. This study aimed to assess the range of absolute benefit from low-dose colchicine according to individual patient risk profile. Methods The ESC guideline-recommended SMART-REACH model was combined with the relative treatment effect of low-dose colchicine, and applied to CAD patients from the LoDoCo2 trial and UCC-SMART cohort (n = 10,830). Individual treatment benefit was expressed as 10-year absolute risk reductions (ARRs) for myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death (MACE), and MACE-free life-years gained. Predictions were also performed for MACE plus coronary revascularization (MACE+), using a new lifetime model derived in the REACH registry. Colchicine was compared to other ESC guideline-recommended intensified (step 2) prevention strategies, i.e. low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c) reduction to 1.4 mmol/L, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) reduction to 130 mmHg. Generalizability to other populations was assessed in CAD patients from REACH North America and Western Europe (n = 25,812). Results Median 10-year ARR from low-dose colchicine was 4.6% (interquartile range [IQR] 3.6–6.0%) for MACE, and 8.6% (IQR 7.6–9.8%) for MACE + . Lifetime benefit was 2.0 (IQR 1.6–2.5) MACE-free years, and 3.4 (IQR 2.6–4.2) MACE + -free life-years gained. For LDL-c and SBP reduction respectively, median 10-year ARR for MACE was 3.0% (IQR 1.5-5.1%) and 1.7% (IQR 0.0-5.7%), and lifetime benefit was 1.2 (IQR 0.6-2.1) and 0.7 (IQR 0.0-2.3) MACE-free life-years gained. Similar results were obtained for MACE+, and in American and European patients from REACH. Conclusions The absolute benefits of low-dose colchicine vary between individual patients with chronic CAD. They may be expected to be of at least similar magnitude to those of intensified LDL-c and SBP reduction in a majority of patients already on conventional lipid-lowering and blood pressure-lowering therapy.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has evolved as an important part of the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease. However, to date, its full potential is fairly underutilised. This review discusses new developments in CR aimed at improving participation rates and long-term effectiveness in the general cardiac population. It consecutively highlights new or challenging target groups, new delivery modes and new care pathways for CR programmes. These new or challenging target groups include patients with atrial fibrillation, obesity and cardiovascular disease, chronic coronary syndromes, (advanced) chronic heart failure with or without intracardiac devices, women and frail elderly patients. Also, the current evidence regarding cardiac telerehabilitation and loyalty programmes is discussed as new delivery modes for CR. Finally, this paper discusses novel care pathways with the integration of CR in residual risk management and transmural care pathways. These new developments can help to make optimal use of the benefits of CR. Therefore we should seize the opportunities to reshape current CR programmes, broaden their applicability and incorporate them into or combine them with other cardiovascular care programmes/pathways.