Abstract
The benefits of cardiac rehabilitation following a major cardiac event are without question. Less well known, however, is the association of age with improved quality of life following rehabilitation. Subjects (n = 300) completed a 3-month phase II cardiac rehabilitation program following either a coronary artery bypass graft or a valve procedure. There were similar gains in health-related quality of life across all age groups; our results suggest that there needs to be a greater focus on emotional needs among our younger patients.