Cardiac rehabilitation isn't appropriate for everyone, though, even if you have one of these conditions.

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Don't let advancing age hold you back from joining a cardiac rehabilitation program.

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Even if you're older than 65, you're just as likely to benefit from cardiac rehabilitation as your younger counterparts are.

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Your health care team will thoroughly evaluate your health to make sure you're ready to start a cardiac rehabilitation program.

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"I don't think it's overwhelming evidence, " says Carl Lavie, medical director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans.

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Mr. Snitzer goes regularly to the Mayo Clinic for cardiac rehabilitation.

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Today, though, with improved programs and close medical monitoring, cardiac rehabilitation is an option for people of all ages and with many forms of heart disease.

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In years past, cardiac rehabilitation was often suggested only for people who were younger and needed help getting in shape to return to work after a heart attack or surgery.

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In fact, because older adults with heart disease often are less able to exercise and have a higher disability rate, they may benefit the most from a cardiac rehabilitation program.

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