Despite this, in a
recent examination of 18 809 patients after an acute coronary see more event, only 30% were adhering to diet and exercise recommendations and only 70% had quit smoking (Chow et al 2010). This highlights the vast scope for physiotherapists to join other researchers, clinicians, and policy-makers in improving management of cardiovascular disease. The potential role for physiotherapists in the clinical management of people with cardiac conditions is extensive and diverse. Interventions span acute and chronic care, involvement in primary and secondary prevention programs, and implementation of strategies aimed at reducing modifiable risk factors (Pryor and Prasad, 2008). Physiotherapists are not only skilled PD-0332991 nmr in the assessment
of physical activity, activities of daily living, musculoskeletal integrity, and quality of life, but they can also assess other cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure and body mass index, as well as absolute cardiovascular risk. In addition, physiotherapists’ understanding of multiple body systems allows them to account for the impact of co-morbid conditions when developing cardiovascular management plans, eg, physical activity management plans for patients who have co-existing musculoskeletal conditions or breathlessness. Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy Australia is a clinical group of the Australian Physiotherapy Association that aims to promote the role of physiotherapy in the management of both acute and chronic cardiorespiratory conditions (APA 2011). ‘Cardiorespiratory physiotherapists’ manage diverse cardiac and respiratory conditions in a range of inpatient and outpatient clinical areas, from intensive care to outpatient pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation (APA 2011). These clinicians may work in acute adult and paediatric hospitals, rehabilitation
and community health centres, private practice, and academic environments. next The physiotherapy management of cardiac disease is largely focussed on therapeutic exercise. Reviews examining the benefit of therapeutic exercise have found high-level evidence that therapeutic exercise is beneficial for patients across broad areas of physiotherapy practice, including people with coronary heart disease (Taylor et al 2007). Furthermore, individualised exercise programs may be more beneficial than standardised programs (Taylor et al 2007). However, whilst the role of physiotherapy in therapeutic exercise and assessment is widely accepted, the capacity of physiotherapists to participate in and co-ordinate other behavioural strategies for cardiac disease management is also of key importance. Recent studies relating to physiotherapy strategies for people with diabetes (Ng et al 2010, Irvine et al 2009), chronic heart failure (Hwang et al 2010), and coronary disease (Redfern et al 2009) have also been documented.