Objective: To describe the patterns of use of cardiac rehabilitation in Victoria and to assess whether the survival benefits predicted in clinical trials have been realised in the community.
Design: Cohort study based on data linkage.
Participants: All patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in Victoria in 1998 (n = 12821).
Interventions: Attendance at one of 66 participating outpatient cardiac rehabilitation centres in Victoria.
Main outcome measures: Rates of attendance at rehabilitation based on key factors such as diagnosis, age, sex, and comorbidity. Five-year survival for attendees compared with non-attendees.
Results: Rates of participation in rehabilitation were 15% for AMI, 37% for CABG, and 14% for PTCA. Rehabilitation attendance rates dropped sharply after 70 years of age. Attendees had a 35% improvement in 5-year survival (hazard ratio for death associated with rehabilitation attendance, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.56-0.75]).
Conclusions: Attendance rates at cardiac rehabilitation are suboptimal, even though attendance confers a clinically significant difference in 5-year survival. The elderly, women, and those with comorbid conditions may benefit measurably from increased rates of attendance.