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Women
over 70 who are referred to cardiac rehabilitation can improve
their ability to function physically and improve their quality
of life, according to University of Alberta researchers.
Some physicians
are reluctant to refer older women to cardiac rehabilitation
programs following a heart attack or surgery out of the belief
that they are too fragile and do not want to exercise.
Michael
Kennedy, of the university's faculty of rehabilitation medicine,
and his colleagues examined the effect of participating in
a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program on quality
of life in such women.
The researchers
found that women aged 70 and above had no less of an improvement
after cardiac rehabilitation than younger women. Besides an
improved ability to exercise, the anxiety levels, nutrition
and symptoms shown by older women also improved considerably.
Kennedy
said improved exercise capacity may help older women better
perform activities of daily living given that the women in
this study, irrespective of age, felt less fatigued and perceived
that they could do more work while performing their usual
tasks.
Kennedy
added that the findings also show that "it is never too
late to see the benefits of exercise and lifestyle modification."
Source:
Heart
Disease Week of May 18, 2003
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