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Despite the rising incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), along with evidence that cardiac rehabilitation programs improve outcomes for those living with CVD, availability of these programs has not increased worldwide in the past decade, according to a new study by York University researchers.

Since the pandemic, the number of hybrid or alternative cardiac rehabilitation programs, which are more affordable to run, has decreased, even though more people around the world are surviving and living longer with CVD.

Cardiac rehabilitation is a chronic disease management program proven to reduce death by more than 25% and hospitalization by almost 20%. These programs often begin with patients in the hospital and continue as an outpatient service before moving into a longer-term community-based secondary prevention service.

Hybrid programs are both clinic- and home-based and are designed to improve outcomes for patients and can involve exercise, healthy living education and stress counseling.

The researchers, including York University and University of Toronto adjunct professor Gabriela Lima de Melo Ghisi, York professor Sherry Grace of the Faculty of Health and York grad student Rachael Carson, are surprised and disheartened by the results.

The paper, "Delivery of cardiac rehabilitation through hybrid models and alternative settings by country income classification and decade: Comparisons from the International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation's 2025 Global Audit Update," is published in the journal PLOS One.

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