More than 26,000 people are recorded as living with heart disease in Cambridge and Peterborough and regular activity is one of the best ways for people with a heart condition to make a good recovery after surgery or a heart attack, but patients are confused [1]. What is safe? How much should they do?
A new self-care exercise programme using the Activ8rlives⁴ Health+Wellness App has been launched to help patients recovering from heart conditions learn how to exercise safely, monitor and record their health metrics in order to track their progress and get support and encouragement from a personal health coach.
This self-care week people taking part in cardiac rehabilitation classes in Cambridge will be given an innovative integrated health monitoring programme called Active⁺me, developed by Cambridgeshire-based Aseptika Ltd. Active⁺me is being piloted by Eastern AHSN (Academic Health Science Network) and Cambridge University Hospitals (Addenbrooke’s) to give local cardiac patients guided support so that they can exercise safely, monitor their health and improve how they feel about being able to cope living with a heart condition.
Cardiac rehabilitation is a free programme of education and training available on the NHS to anyone who has had a heart attack, cardiac surgery or a diagnosis of heart failure. There is no time limit for starting the course after being discharged from hospital, but patients are encouraged to join cardiac rehab as soon as they are physically able to get the best results.
The programme includes classes in which patients are guided to exercise safely and appropriately, but what makes this initiative different is that alongside the classes, patients are also given monitors to record their health metrics at home, which are uploaded to the Activ8rlives⁴ Health+Wellness App and their data is shared with their personal health coaches.
It is well known that regular exercise can help reduce your risk of developing heart disease. But it is less commonly understood that regular activity is one of the best ways for patients to make a good recovery after a heart attack or other event and get back to performing daily activities. Nationally, only 52% of patients discharged from hospital after a heart attack sign-up for the free exercise programme and education provided by the NHS [2].
Health benefits of exercise include reduced fatigue, anxiety, depression, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, an improved return-to-work rate and ability to take part in leisure activities. Exercise reduces the chance of having a second heart attack by 20-30% [3].
The first patient enrolled on the Active⁺me programme via Addenbrookes in Cambridge, Mark Fiddian, said: “Using the devices and App on my phone provided through the Active+me programme has enabled me to track and review my own health data with ease, so I can take an active role in managing my condition. Now when I meet my GP, I am so much more confident in talking about my health, arriving with all the information I need for an informed discussion. But over and above this it has made me understand what I can do myself to improve my health and both see and feel the positive effects.”
Depending on each individual patient’s activity levels and abilities, class participants are given specific exercise prescriptions over an 8-week supported class, with four weeks free Active⁺me classes included, though clinicians generally recommend 30 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise five times a week [4].
“With more than 26,000 people recorded as living with heart disease in Cambridge and Peterborough and an ageing population, we have a growing need to address the unique health issues facing people living with heart disease and support patients in our region to safely manage their health and reduce the chances of them having to go back to hospital,” said Alan Darby, Cardiac Rehabilitation Lead Practitioner, Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
To register for classes, patients need to have a qualifying heart condition, live in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and be referred by their Cardiologist or GP. Classes are run across multiple locations in Cambridge, have started now, and last for a duration of 8 weeks.
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References:
[1] “26,000 people are recorded as living with heart disease in Cambridge and Peterborough”: Public Health Intelligence – Cardiovascular disease in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG (July 2015).
[2] “Nationally only 52% of patients sign up for the free 8-week exercise programme and education provided by the NHS to patients after discharge from hospital after a heart attack”: The NHS Long Term Plan (2018).
[3] “Cardiac rehabilitation leads to a 20-30% reduction in all-cause mortality”: American Heart Foundation.
[4] “Clinicians generally recommend 30 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise five times a week”: NHS Guidance (2019).
Further information:
Activ8rlives, Activ8rlives.com and Active⁺me are trademarks of Aseptika Ltd.
For further details, please contact Jessica Auton on +44 (0)1480 352 821 or email jessica.auton@aseptika.com