Prevention and rehabilitation after heart transplantation: A clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology, Heart Failure Association of the ESC, and the European Cardio Thoracic Transplant Association, a section of ESOT

Abstract

Little is known either about either physical activity patterns, or other lifestyle-related prevention measures in heart transplantation (HTx)recipients. The history of HTx started more than 50 years ago but there are still no guidelines or position papers highlighting the features ofprevention and rehabilitation after HTx. The aims of this scientific statement are (i) to explain the importance of prevention and rehabilitationafter HTx, and (ii) to promote the factors (modifiable/non-modifiable) that should be addressed after HTx to improve patients’ physicalcapacity, quality of life and survival. All HTx team members have their role to play in the care of these patients and multidisciplinary preventionand rehabilitation programmes designed for transplant recipients. HTx recipients are clearly not healthy disease-free subjects yet they alsosignificantly differ from heart failure patients or those who are supported with mechanical circulatory support. Therefore, prevention andrehabilitation after HTx both need to be specifically tailored to this patient population and be multidisciplinary in nature. Prevention andrehabilitation programmes should be initiated early after HTx and continued during the entire post-transplant journey. This clinical consensusstatement focuses on the importance and the characteristics of prevention and rehabilitation designed for HTx recipients.