Doha, Qatar: A recent report has been released by a team of researchers from Qatar University (QU) Health, led by Dr. Karam Turk-Adawi, Head of the Department of Public Health, in collaboration with Prof. Sherry Grace, a senior scientist at KITE-Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network (UHN) at Toronto University, and a professor at York University, Canada.

The report highlighted the significant accomplishments made by the global cardiac rehabilitation registry in its first year.

The“First Report of the International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation's Registry (ICRR)” analysed data from over 1,000 patients who participated in a total of 14 rehabilitation programmes worldwide, including the rehabilitation programme available in Qatar.

The ICRR is the first global database of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation programmes.

The report sheds light on its pioneering achievements, emphasising its ability to enhance cardiac care for non-hospitalised patients, particularly those in limited-resource and low-income countries who are in dire need of such rehabilitation programmes.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an outpatient chronic disease management programme supporting risk factor management, structured exercise, patient education, as well as lifestyle and psychosocial counseling.

However, despite their low cost and effectiveness, these programmes are not widely available in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Additionally, in some high-income countries like Qatar, where there is a high burden of heart disease and a significant need for CR, such programmes are lacking to meet this pressing demand.

Moreover, there was no registry available to support these needed rehab programmes and track the quality of care.

Dr. Turk-Adawi stated: “The report demonstrates that high-quality CR programmes can be established even in low- and middle-income countries. The ICRR team is dedicated to supporting CR programmes in meeting international cardiac rehab care standards. We invite more programmes to participate in the ICRR, which is free. By participating in the registry, programmes are instantly supported to enhance the health outcomes of patients, contributing towards reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease.”

Prof. Grace commented:“If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with a heart problem, even if it was a while ago, ask your doctor about a referral to a cardiac rehab programme. Try to overcome any barriers to participating because our registry facilitates easy access to your medical records related to your cardiac condition worldwide. This, in turn, improves your quality of life and overall health.”

MENAFN12072023000063011010ID1106589337