Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation is a coordinated multifaceted intervention designed to optimize physical, psychological and social health and well being of people with cardiovascular disease. Cardiac rehabilitation is divided into three phases, phase I, II and III. The aim is the same in all phases, it is to lead the participants to have as normal life as possible within their usual environment. Cardiac rehabilitation is based on clinical recommendation with emphasis on individualized treatment.

The cardiac rehabilitation program here at Reykjalundur, which is a phase II Cardiac rehabilitation and has been provided since 1982, is mainly based on guidelines from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation and the European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice.

The phase II rehabilitation program can begin about 4 to 8 weeks after hospital discharge. It usually starts with a maximal exercise test and / or other tests to measure both physical and psychosocial state at the beginning of rehabilitation. The program duration is about 4 weeks and provides exercise training, education and counceling on heart healthy living with lifestyle changes if neccessary and reduction of risk factors. Initial tests will then be repeated at the end of phase II Cardiac rehabilitation.