Misconceptions about the need for “rest and recuperation” for heart disease

  Case Study: A few years ago, we met a 50-year-old patient who normally had hypertension and had sudden onset of chest pain during a morning walk and immediately went to the hospital for emergency treatment. After the relevant examination and treatment, the patient was discharged from the hospital, took his medication on time every day, listened to the doctor’s words and recuperated well at home, and gave up all the activities he liked before. Despite this “pain”, the patient’s “angina” still recurred, and within 2 years, he was hospitalized 6 times and received numerous injections and medications, but his condition became increasingly serious. The slightest discomfort, the spirit is highly nervous, “angina” also came.  Do cardiac patients really need “rest and recuperation”?  Clinical cardiac rehabilitation is based on medication, exercise rehabilitation as the core, supplemented by dietary, psychological and smoking cessation guidance, not only for the recovery of the disease, but also for prevention. The heart is one of the most important organs of the human body, and when it comes to heart disease, everyone is in a state of serious preparedness, and when it comes to heart disease rehabilitation, the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind – rest! However, this is a misconception! It is important to recognize its seriousness!  For a long time, everyone has been very careful with heart disease patients: bed rest and stay still as long as you can, so that you can recover faster. But the truth is just the opposite. Being sedentary may lead to lung infections, blood clots in the lower extremities, muscle atrophy, functional degeneration, and other problems, making the condition recurrent and even more serious. In clinical work, we see many patients improperly “resting” or lying in bed, but let the heart and body functions are not exercised, functional decay, and seriously affect the recovery and quality of life.  Exercise must have a “prescription” Heart disease patients, after all, different from ordinary healthy people, exercise must have a “prescription”, this “prescription” is a professional doctor’s exercise prescription! Therefore, heart disease patients or their families should pay special attention to: 1, heart disease patients exercise treatment, like taking medicine, must be prescribed by the doctor exercise.  The fundamental difference between exercise in hospital and general exercise and fitness is that: ① Exercise according to the doctor’s prescription, strictly control the intensity of exercise to ensure the efficacy of the treatment while reducing the risk of exercise; ② Close observation and guidance of doctors and therapists throughout the exercise; ③ For those with high risk of exercise, it must be carried out under the close supervision of blood pressure, electrocardiogram, oxygen saturation, etc.  2, the intensity of exercise must be “degree” to have a therapeutic effect.  Excessive exercise is risky, too little exercise will not achieve the therapeutic effect. Studies have shown that the size of exercise varies from person to person (just as there are individual differences in the dosage of medication), depending on the individual’s condition, physical condition, nature of work and daily exercise.  3. Exercise for heart patients must be carried out under the monitoring and guidance of a professional doctor.  Through a comprehensive physical examination and exercise test, the doctor will develop an individualized exercise treatment plan for each patient’s specific condition and monitor the patient’s physical condition in time for exercise rehabilitation to achieve the best exercise treatment effect and avoid risks.  The exercise prescriptions prescribed by the physician need to be adjusted after the patient has practiced, such as adjusting the intensity of exercise according to the patient’s blood pressure and heart rate during and after exercise, in order to achieve the best exercise efficacy and improve the safety of exercise. During this process the doctor will also help the patient understand the disease and explain the precautions to be taken during exercise to help the patient further recover after discharge.