Ann Rehabil Med.  2023 Oct;47(5):318-325. 10.5535/arm.23050.

Fact Sheet on Cardiac Rehabilitation for Cardiovascular Disease in South Korea

• Kim KH
• Han JY

• KMID: 2548391
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.23050

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) poses a significant health challenge globally, including in Korea, due to its status as a leading cause of death and its impact on cardiopulmonary function. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a well-established program that not only aids in restoring cardiopulmonary function, but also improves physical and social conditions. The benefits of CR are widely recognized, and it is implemented globally. While the effectiveness of CR has been proven in Korea, it is underutilized. This fact sheet summarizes the current status of CR in Korea, including the prevalence of CVD, the clinical practice guidelines for CR programs, and the challenges of implementing CR in Korea.

Keyword

Cardiac rehabilitation; Health services misuse; Practice guideline; Statistics

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Age-standardized incidence of hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction in Korea between 2007 and 2016. Adapted from the article of Kim et al. (J Korean Med Sci 2019;34:e322) [12].

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  Fig. 2. Crude mortality of cardiovascular disease in Korea, 1983–2021. Adapted from Statistics Korea [14].

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  Fig. 3. Number of myocardial infarction patients (A) and prevalence of myocardial infarction (B) in Korea by year from 2016 to 2020. Adapted from the article of Kim et al. (Epidemiol Health 2022;44:e2022057) [13].

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