ARTICLE SUMMARY – AACVPR Registry Research

The September 2025 Issue marks a historic milestone for AACVPR and the Journal – the publication of the first three articles based on data from the AACVPR Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Registries! Read more below about the articles available in this issue below:

Invited Editorial: A New Era Begins: Advancing Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Through the AACVPR Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Registries

This Invited Editorial from President Stacey Greenway, MA, MPH, and Past Presidents David Prince, MD, and Wen-Chih Wu, MD, MPH, outlines both the significance of this milestone for AACVPR and a future in which the registries can help support observational and possibly prospective studies to ultimately advance the field. Make sure to read the whole editorial for more info and context about this exciting moment for the field of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.

The American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation National Cardiac Rehabilitation Registry: Design and Participant Characteristics

The first of three articles based on AACVPR Registry data focuses on the design of and baseline characteristics included in the CR Registry. The initial analysis of the CR Registry data includes 489,507 patient records representing 702 programs across the United States. This sample includes records entered from the launch of the CR Registry in 2012 up through February 2021. Some highlights from the data set include:

• Median age is 67, 75% of patients are 59 years and older
• 70% are male, 77% are white
• Most common form of insurance is Medicare or Medicare Advantage Plan (52%), with only 4% reporting Medicaid, and 1% as uninsured
• 78% of patients have an admitting diagnosis of coronary artery disease
• The most common cardiovascular risk factors are hyperlipidemia (83%), hypertension (82%), and diabetes (34%) 

Make sure to read the full article in the September issue of JCRP for more information about the development of the registries, the characteristics of the data present in the database, limitations of the data, how the data compares to existing large sample studies, and possible research priorities for the future!

The American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation National Pulmonary Rehabilitation Registry: Design and Participant Characteristics

The September Issue also includes an article focusing on the design and characteristics of the AACVPR Pulmonary Rehabilitation Registry. The initial analysis of the PR Registry data includes 70,085 patient records representing 319 programs across the United States. These records were entered into the database between its launch in 2013 through February 2021. Some highlights from the data set include:

• Median age is 70, 75% of patients are 63 years or older
• 52% are female, 78% are white
• Most common form of insurance is Medicare or Medicare Advantage Plan (63%), with only 6% reporting Medicaid, and 1% as uninsured
• 66% of patients have an admitting diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• The most common comorbidities are hypertension (56%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (29%), coronary artery disease (25%), obstructive sleep apnea (24%), and depression (23%)

Don’t miss the full article in the September issue of JCRP for more information about the development of the registries, the characteristics of the data present in the database, limitations of the data, how the data compares to existing large sample studies, and possible research priorities for the future!

Original Investigation: The Effects of Smoking Status on Patients in Cardiac Rehabilitation Results from a National Registry

Finally, we are thrilled to announce the publication of the first investigator-initiated project from the AACVPR Registries in the September issue. Led by Dr. Diann Gaalema, from the University of Texas Medical Branch, this project set out to examine CR outcomes in patients based on smoking status. Of the data available, approximately 8% of patients reported current smoking, defined as having smoked within the past month. The analysis of the available data indicates that, on average, those reporting current smoking tended to hold the following characteristics shown below when compared with those who report never or former smoking.

Those who reported current smoking in the AACVPR CR Registry:

• Tend to be younger (58.8 years vs. 66.9 years)
• Tend to have lower socioeconomic status based on Medicaid enrollment (11% vs. 3%)
• Are more likely to have a high school education or less (23% vs 16%)
• Have higher anxiety and depression scores
• Have lower cardiorespiratory fitness at entry to rehab (max MET of 3.4 vs. 3.6)
• Complete fewer CR sessions (17.7 sessions vs. 23.3 sessions)

The data reported make a strong case for increased focus on smoking cessation programs for those who smoke to help improve outcomes. The article provides suggestions for smoking interventions to help programs push the needle on smoking cessation and also outlines a number of limitations of the study and possible future areas of research. Make sure to check out the full article to learn more about this study!

Read all of the full articles as part of the September JCRP Issue today!

AACVPR Call for Registry Research Proposals:
Are you interested in joining this new wave of AACVPR Registry Research? Consider submitting a research proposal application today! New research proposals are being accepted through November 19, so start working on your project now. For more information, visit the AACVPR website here.