Effectiveness on Health and Well-Being of an eHealth-Based Rehabilitation Program in Older People With Acute Heart Failure and/or Acute Coronary Syndrome: The Flip Side of the DELPHIC Study

Introduction

Frailty is a clinical syndrome highly prevalent among elderly individuals with cardiovascular disease and is characterized by a progressive decline in the physiological reserves of multiple organ systems. Preliminary evidence suggests that frailty may not represent an irreversible condition, raising the possibility that targeted interventions could improve resilience and potentially alter the course of the syndrome. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs are established effective tools to improve cardiovascular prognosis and quality of life. However, few studies have explored the efficacy of eHealth, home-based CR interventions on frailty. The DELPHIC (elDerly hEart faiLure Prevention reHabilitation bIomarkers prognostiC) study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness on frailty status of an eHealth-based, home-delivered CR program in older adults with cardiovascular disease.