Study Reveals Low Uptake and High Mortality Risk

In Victoria, over 80% of cardiac patients fail to participate in life-saving rehabilitation programmes after a heart attack, as highlighted by recent research published on 20th June.

Heart attack patients who skip cardiac rehabilitation are four times more likely to die from a subsequent attack compared to those who complete the programme. The study underscores the direct correlation between the number of rehab sessions attended and survival rates.

Monash University conducted the study, which was published in the International Journal of Cardiology. It analysed data from over 7,100 patients across 13 public hospitals in Victoria, highlighting the critical role of cardiac rehab in ensuring patients return to full health.

Dr Susie Cartledge of Monash University remarked, “The reduced risk of dying from further cardiac events was directly related to the number of cardiac rehabilitation sessions attended. Mortality was four times higher in those who didn’t attend any sessions compared to those who attended the full six-week programme.”

Barriers to Rehabilitation Access

The study revealed less than half of eligible Australians are referred to cardiac rehabilitation after an acute cardiac event, with only 19.3% attending the programmes. A lack of referrals from cardiologists and insufficient patient understanding about the programme’s importance were identified as key barriers.

Australia, unlike countries such as Austria and Canada, lacks a national cardiac rehabilitation registry. This absence hampers the understanding of patient journeys from inpatient to outpatient care.

Cardiac rehabilitation programmes, delivered over 6-8 weeks, include self-management education, tailored exercise, and psychosocial support. Despite their benefits, uptake remains low in Victoria.

The study also found that patients who attended rehabilitation were typically younger than 64 years, more likely to live with family, and had more serious heart conditions such as blocked arteries.

For more information, the full study is available in the International Journal of Cardiology under the title ‘Mapping patient outcomes associated with cardiac rehabilitation: a linked data analysis of 7,172 patients from the Victorian Cardiac Outcomes Registry (2019-2021).’ DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2026.134564.

Last updated: 29 June 2026, 11:47 am