Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Divergent Approach to Smoking Cessation

Background: Smoking is the most important modifiable risk factor of cardiovascular diseases(CVD). Prevalence of Smoking in CVD is higher than in the general population. However, whilesmoking rates continue to decline in the general population, a similar decline has not beenobserved in cardiac patients. Smoking cessation (SC) is the most important lifestyle change apatient can make to reduce future morbidity and mortality following cardiac events. Cardiacrehabilitation (CR) is comprehensive and supervised outpatient program that is designed to assistcardiovascular patients in the management of modifiable risk factors and improving lifestylehabits. This study aimed to determine the capacity of CR as smoking cessation method in cardiacpatients.Method: we reviewed Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, Science Direct and PubMed using thekeywords Smoking, Cardiac Diseases, Cardiac Rehabilitation and combination of AND,OR. ۱۲۸articles were extracted in the initial search based on the title and abstract of the article. Consideringthe entry criteria that include access to the full text of the articles that examined the relationshipbetween cardiac rehabilitation and smoking cessation, ۱۸ articles were selected for review. Finally,with content analysis, the materials related to the purpose of the study were extracted andorganized from the articles.Results: According to the definition of the American Cardiopulmonary RehabilitationAssociation, cardiac rehabilitation refers to coordinated and multidisciplinary interventions toensure the best possible physical, psychological and social conditions of heart patients in order tostabilize, slow or reverse the underlying process of the disease and subsequently reducecomplications and mortality. CR called also as secondary prevention consist of ۳ phases, in whichby training tolerable physical activities, education, cardiac risk factor modification, counsellingand stress management participation in group programs, can be provided the basis of quittingsmoking. Based on the findings of articles more than half of CVD smoking patient quit smokingafter participating in CR program, which indicates that the CR attendance may play important rolein SC. Additionally this effect may be due to impact of physical activity and exercise in reducecravings and withdrawal symptoms, while also decreasing stress and tension related to smoking,improving self-confidence and quality of life of these patients.Conclusion: The results of the current review confirm the effect of cardiac rehabilitation onsmoking cessation specially the comprehensive cardiac rehab intervention that includes physical,psychological and educational aspect leads to higher rate of SC. Therefore, the necessity ofsystematic designing and applying this program in the management of CVD is noticeable.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cardiac Rehabilitation ، Smoking Cessation ، Heart Diseases ، Controllable Risk Factor ، Mortality.