Background. Cardiovascular rehabilitation is an important objective of the treatment of cardiovascular patients in general, and ischemic heart disease patients in particular.The aim of the study is to monitor the effects of long-term cardiovascular rehabilitation in patients readmitted to the "Dr Benedek Geza" Hospital of Rehabilitation in Cardiovascular Diseases Covasna.Material and methods. The study included 92 patients with a mean age of 66.31±9 years, of which 63% women, who had two successive admissions to the "Dr Benedek Geza" Hospital of Rehabilitation in Cardiovascular Diseases, Covasna. At both admissions, all patients were evaluated for the presence of the main cardiovascular risk factors. All patients attended cardiovascular rehabilitation programs, including physical training, climatotherapy, CO 2 baths, mofette therapy, aerotherapy, electrotherapy .. We mention that cardioprotective therapy (aspirin, angiotensin enzyme converting inhibitors, beta-blockers and statins) did not undergo major changes from one admission to the other.Results. More than half of the patients had the following risk factors: hypertension -79.35%, dyslipidemia -64.13%, overweight and obesity -76.4%. The complex rehabilitation programs attended by the patients consisted of physical training -33.7%, CO 2 baths -85.9%, mofette therapy -53.3%, aerotherapy -96.7%, electrotherapy -88%. A comparison of the main cardiovascular risk factors during both admissions showed no significant differences between these, except for LDL-cholesterol (3.15±1.26 vs 2.58±1.65 mmol/dl, p=0.004) and HDL-cholesterol (1.06±0.61 vs 1.194±0.41 mmol/dl, p=0.075)In conclusion, in cardiovascular patients, obtaining improvements of cardiovascular risk factors requires long-term cardiovascular rehabilitation programs, in parallel to the application of measures for lifestyle change and for secondary drug prevention.

Cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) is part of cardiovascular prevention and the objectives are the improvement of functional capacity, control of cardiovascular risk factors, adoption of a healthy lifestyle, education and adherence to the recommended therapies, aiming the reduction of the risk of adverse events, disability, cardiovascular mortality and the increase in quality of life. In Romania, CR is delivered only in a in hospital basis, at 2nd phase of rehabilitation in patients, in five dedicated centers that have the necessary equipment and a multidisciplinary team, but an insufficient number of beds compared to a great number of patients with an indication for rehabilitation. Issues related to addressability, adherence, incomplete legislation regarding ambulatory rehabilitation, and lack of recognition of CR as a part of cardiology or internal medicine are still unsolved.