Heart wise: Rehab can be the key to a patient's longevity

Had a heart attack? Don't want another one? Go to rehab.

That advice might appear perfectly logical, but four out of five heart patients ignore their physicians, failing to attend even one rehab session as part of their recovery program.

Experts don't know why so few heart patients follow doctors' orders when their lives may hang in the balance, but they have begun to document the benefits of heart rehabilitation.

A recent Duke University study found that going to as few as six sessions improved the chances of survival, while those who attended 36 sessions -- the number Medicare typically covers -- were 47 percent less likely to die in the three to four years following a heart attack or bypass operation.

That's a big difference. But even among the 20 percent of heart patients who went to rehab at least once, only 18 percent went to all 36 sessions.

People quit rehab or fail to start for many reasons. Perhaps some fear it will damage their weakened heart; others may find the frequent sessions inconvenient, or transportation difficult; still others may simply lack the will to make difficult lifestyle changes.

But if you're a heart patient, the message is simple: Rehab can save your life. What are you waiting for?