[Cardiac rehabilitation with lifestyle counselling after myocardial infarction: it helps, but not everyone undergoes it].

A healthy lifestyle helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This also applies after myocardial infarction (MI), as it considerably reduces the likelihood of relapse. One element of the cardiac rehabilitation process is lifestyle counselling. In 2010, the Dutch Health Care Inspectorate conducted a study into lifestyle counselling during the cardiac rehabilitation programme. The results showed that only a limited number of post-MI patients actually do take part in a cardiac rehabilitation programme. Furthermore, the lifestyle counselling which is provided during the programme is not being conducted entirely in accordance with the Dutch Cardiac Rehabilitation Practice Guideline; therefore, its effects on patient health can, and should, be improved. To this end, the cardiac rehabilitation centres are currently working on improving their programmes and the inspectorate will review the results in the latter part of 2012. Moreover, various initiatives have been taken to increase the level of participation in cardiac rehabilitation programmes.