"Teleprehabilitation" reduces problems after heart surgery
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
For people slated for heart surgery, virtual coaching may reduce the risk of complications after surgery, a new study finds.
Known as "teleprehabilitation," the coaching was delivered via smartphone app for six to eight weeks before the person's operation. The advice, which is similar to cardiac rehabilitation that occurs after surgery, focuses on smoking cessation, nutrition, and exercise training.
Published Oct. 11, 2024, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the study included 394 people scheduled for cardiac surgery and procedures who were randomly assigned to receive teleprehabilitation or usual care. Their average age was 66, and 75% were men.
In the year following the surgery, about 17% of those in the rehab group experienced serious heart-related complications, compared to nearly 26% of those in the usual care group. The complications included heart attacks, strokes, hospitalization, heart failure, and heart-related death. Earlier studies have shown benefits from in-person prehabilitation prior to cardiac surgery, but it is not widely available.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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