Cardiac rehabilitation is a well-established multidisciplinary interventional protocol that plays a pivotal role in the management and prevention of future cardiovascular events in patients with cardiovascular diseases. This patient-tailored approach includes educating patients about their cardiovascular condition and how to control the associated risk factors, an expert-designed lifestyle modification plan that may include exercise, proper nutrition, pharmacological treatment, and psychological support at each step. Exercise training represents a fundamental component of cardiac rehabilitation. It facilitates an enhancement of cardiovascular fitness, a reduction in heart rate, blood pressure and cardiac remodeling, an increase in the left ventricular ejection fraction, the optimization of endothelial function, and a reduction in inflammation and oxidative stress. Moreover, the beneficial physiological changes resulting from cardiac rehabilitation contribute to a reduction in morbidity and mortality in survivors of myocardial infarction (MI). Furthermore, the European Society of Cardiology Guidelines advocate for the initiation of cardiac rehabilitation as early as possible, while the patient who survived MI is still in hospital. This two-part comprehensive review commences with a historical overview of cardiac rehabilitation, followed by a detailed exploration of the four phases of the cardiac rehabilitation programme and its impact on cardiovascular health. In Part 2, the study aims to provide a detailed account of the optimal timing for starting cardiac rehabilitation programs and to examine the factors affecting low engagement in such programs, as well as gender-based differences in adherence.
