Surviving a heart attack is the beginning, not the end. Patients who complete a structured cardiac rehabilitation program have a 25% lower risk of dying in the following five years compared to those who don't.
The first two weeks are about rest, wound care if you had a stent placed, and starting the four core medications: aspirin, a second antiplatelet drug, a statin, and a beta-blocker. Skipping any of these in the first year meaningfully raises your risk of a second event.
Weeks three through twelve are where the real work happens. Our rehab program pairs supervised exercise with nutrition counseling, stress management, and one-on-one coaching. Most patients are back to full daily activity — including sex, travel, and returning to work — within 6 to 8 weeks.
The emotional recovery is often harder than the physical one. Depression affects roughly one in three heart attack survivors and is itself an independent risk factor for future events. We screen every patient and treat it aggressively.
Written by
Dr. Ahmed Raza
Chief of Cardiology, ShifaCare Cardiology Hospital
