Background: The goal of cardiac rehabilitation programmes is not only to prolong life, but also to improve physical functioning, symptoms, wellbeing and health-related quality of life (HRQL). The aim of the study was to document short-term outcomes of inpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs in Austria.

Methods: Consecutive patients (N  = 487, 64.7% male, age 60.9  ± 12.5 SD years) with myocardial infarction (MI), with or without percutaneous interventions (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or heart valve surgery (HVS), referred to the six inpatient rehabilitation centres of the Austrian PVA insurance company, were included in the study. Exercise capacity, risk factors and HRQL (MacNew Heart Disease Quality of Life Instrument [MacNew] and EuroQoL-5D [EQ-5D]) were measured at the beginning and end of the 4-week inpatient cardiac rehabilitation program.

Results: Global HRQL (MacNew) improved significantly in all patients combined (+0.75  ±   0.88 SD, p  < .001) and exceeded the minimal important difference. Patients with CABG, HVS or MI without PCI showed the greatest improvements in global HRQL after cardiac rehabilitation. Blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride, body mass index, waist circumference improved significantly (all p  < .001).

Conclusion: These findings provide evidence that the statistically significant improvements in HRQL and risk factors following cardiac rehabilitation in Austria are also clinically important. HRQL should become a standard outcome measure in cardiac rehabilitation.