Few Women Participate in Cardiac Rehabilitation, Despite a Slew of Benefits
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STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Fewer than 20% of women take part in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs, which is one of the most proven ways to recover and prevent another heart event
Women who complete cardiac rehab lower their risk of hospitalization by up to 42% and reduce their risk of death from heart disease by as much as 58%, gaining both longer life and better quality of life
Referral bias is a major reason for low participation — women are referred for cardiac rehab less often than men, and rates are even lower among Black, Hispanic, and Asian women, where participation averages just 10% to 12%
Automatic referrals, flexible scheduling, home-based or hybrid options, and women-only programs are powerful, research-backed strategies that dramatically increase enrollment and completion rates
Cardiac rehab isn’t just exercise — it’s a personalized recovery plan that rebuilds heart strength, lowers stress, and restores confidence, giving women a structured way to take back control of their health and their future
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women today, with higher mortality rates than all forms of cancer combined.1 Over 60 million women, or nearly half of the female population, have this condition, affecting them at any age, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. In 2023, more than 300,000 women succumbed to heart disease.2
Despite these alarming numbers, only a small percentage of women take advantage of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs, which is one of the most proven methods to recover after a cardiac event. A recent report found that attendance to cardiac rehabilitation in women is only less than 20% even though they provide benefits, such as reducing hospital readmissions and improving quality of life.
What Is Cardiac Rehabilitation and Who Qualifies?
Cardiac rehabilitation, often called cardiac rehab, is a medically supervised program that helps you strengthen your heart and improve your overall cardiovascular health after a major cardiac event. However, cardiac rehab is not just exercise; it is a comprehensive course that includes monitored aerobic training, nutritional counseling, and stress management.
Who can participate in cardiac rehab? According to the American Heart Association (AHA), this evidence-based program is designed for people who experienced a cardiovascular event or had a heart surgery. It doesn’t change your past, but it helps you build a healthier future for your heart. To be more specific, you become eligible for cardiac rehab if you’ve had:3 4
A heart attack (myocardial infarction)
A heart condition such as coronary artery disease (CAD), angina, or heart failure
A heart procedure or surgery, such as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), angioplasty or stent placement, valve replacement, or device implantation like a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
The treatment plan is mostly centered on minimizing or reversing atherosclerosis — This is when plaque builds up in the inner walls of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease, and with cardiac rehab, the treatment plan is mostly centered on lifestyle changes and medications that can help reverse this condition.
There are three cardiac rehab phases — The first is exercise counseling and training, which gets your heart pumping in a controlled way so your cardiovascular system becomes stronger and more efficient. Second is education for heart-healthy living, which teaches you how to manage risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, and poor diet. The third is counseling to reduce stress, because stress directly harms your heart and contributes to disease progression.
Cardiac rehab is a team effort — As the AHA notes, individuals who are going through this need the support of other people, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and even family members working with you to take charge of your health. This will help them create a plan that includes setting goals, tracking progress, taking medications correctly, and responding quickly if new or worsening symptoms appear.
But is cardiac rehab participation effective? Apparently, it is. According to studies, people who go through cardiac rehab are up to 42% less likely to be hospitalized again and experience up to 58% lower cardiovascular mortality than those who don’t participate.
Dr. Jessica Golbus, a cardiologist at the University of Michigan Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center, said that “cardiac rehabilitation has universal benefits for anyone who participates by reducing risk factors for future cardiovascular events.”5
Why Do Fewer Women Enroll or Complete Cardiac Rehab?
Despite its well-established benefits, women’s participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains lower than men’s. According to a scientific statement from the AHA, published by Golbus and a team of researchers, women are underrepresented in CR programs across all phases (referral, enrollment, and completion). While men and women benefit equally from cardiac rehab, multiple studies confirm that women’s access and engagement are consistently lower.
There are gender-associated barriers to cardiac rehabilitation programs — The scientific statement compiled evidence from multiple research sources, including observational studies, clinical trials, and meta-analyses, to evaluate differences in participation and outcomes between women and men.
<label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label>Their findings, published in the journal Circulation, said that overall, women are 36% less likely to enroll after a qualifying cardiac event than men. What’s more, those who start are less likely to complete all prescribed sessions.
One reason for the disparity is referral bias — Women are referred for cardiac rehab less often than men, even when they have the same qualifying diagnosis.
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