The Pulse Pod

The holiday season can magnify feelings of loneliness and social isolation for older adults with chronic heart and lung conditions. Learn to recognize the signs of loneliness in your patients and understand the role cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation plays in providing routine, consistency, and community. 

If you really want to make cardiopulmonary rehab professionals jump out of their skin this Halloween, send them a patient who’s actively using cannabis. Whether for medical or recreational purposes, Sherrie Khadanga, MD, explains that the potential effect of marijuana on heart health is exactly the same: gravely serious.

Malloree Rice, MS, ACSM-CEP, CCRP emphasizes the importance of inclusive and accessible care in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, particularly for patients who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision. It offers practical strategies for improving communication and engagement, such as using in-person interpreters and adapting educational materials to meet diverse patient needs. 

Read the article.

Pulmonary rehabilitation, originally developed for COPD, is now being increasingly recognized as beneficial for lung cancer patients—especially those undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation—by improving lung function, exercise capacity, and recovery outcomes, prompting calls for tailored PR guidelines for this population.

News & Views editor Ruth Akers, RN, BSN, MS, MAACVPR encourages the CR and PR community to celebrate AACVPR's milestone anniversary at the 40th AACVPR Annual Meeting, emphasizing the value of learning, networking, and community.

Dr. Dennis Kerrigan shares powerful insights from the Henry Ford ExCITE program—a pioneering initiative that blends the principles of cardiac rehabilitation with the unique needs of cancer patients. This article explores how medically supervised exercise can mitigate treatment side effects, improve cardiopulmonary fitness, and enhance quality of life for individuals with cancer. Drawing from nearly two decades of experience, it offers a compelling case for integrating exercise oncology into mainstream cancer care and provides a roadmap for expanding these programs nationwide.

As Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, guest author Dawn Siek, BSN, RN, CV-BC, describes the creation of the “ Grow Your Mental Health” booklet, a resource designed specifically with the cardiac rehab patient community in mind. Siek provides a brief history of the booklet — the subject of her award-winning poster presentation at the AACVPR 39th Annual Meeting — explaining how the material was developed, how it has helped participants at her facility, and how other programs can also make use of it. As a bonus, point your browser to the embedded QR code to access a dozen brief mindfulness sessions that also were created as part of this project.

This article is read by Ruth Akers, RN, BSN, MS, FAACVPR.

When it comes to recovering from heart disease, knowledge truly is power. Imagine being diagnosed with a heart condition and feeling overwhelmed by medical jargon, new medications, and lifestyle changes. This is where patient education in cardiac rehabilitation steps in — equipping patients with the information and skills they need to take control of their health and lead fulfilling lives.

Read by Ruth Akers, RN, BSN, MS, FAACVPR

Ruth Akers, RN, BSN, MS, FAACVPR reads an interesting overview of the use of PR for COPD by Karen Edwards, MS, RRT, RCEP, FAACVPR, and Jonathan David, MSN, RN, EBP-C, CCRP, NE-BC, FPCNA, FAACVPR, FACC.

Todd Brown MD, MSPH, FACC, FAHA, MAACVPR reflects on the review and modernization of the Core Components of Cardiac Rehabilitation in this CR Week special narrated by Ruth Akers, RN, BSN, MS, FAACVPR.