The 2026 ESC Guidelines on Cardiac Rehabilitation redefine cardiac rehabilitation as an integral part of cardiovascular treatment and long-term secondary prevention, rather than simply a period of exercise after a heart attack or procedure. Rehabilitation can begin during hospitalization and continue in specialized centers, at home, through telerehabilitation, or in hybrid models.
The guidelines emphasize a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach combining individualized physical training with risk factor management, medication optimization, nutritional counseling, patient education, smoking cessation support and psychosocial care. Programs should be tailored to each patient, including older people and those with frailty or multiple chronic conditions.
Cardiac rehabilitation can improve physical functioning, quality of life and psychological well-being while reducing rehospitalizations and, in selected patient groups, the risk of cardiovascular events. The recommendations now cover a broad range of cardiovascular conditions, including coronary syndromes, heart failure, valvular disease, atrial fibrillation and cardiomyopathies.
A major focus of the guidelines is also improving access to rehabilitation. Home-based programs and telerehabilitation may help reach patients who live far from rehabilitation centers or face other barriers to participation.
The guidelines were published in the European Heart Journal in August 2026. Associate Professor Michał Czapla from Wroclaw Medical University is one of their co-authors.
