Implementation and Strategies to Support Adoption of the World Heart Federation Roadmap on Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Pathway to Improve Lifelong Cardiovascular Health

An ageing population means more people are living longer with cardiovascular disease. As a result, health systems face sustained pressures to provide effective long-term care. Cardiac rehabilitation has evolved from group-based exercise-based programs to comprehensive secondary prevention, with a growing focus on supporting lifelong cardiovascular health. The World Heart Federation (WHF) recently published a Roadmap that advances this shift by reframing cardiovascular rehabilitation around person-centred, future-focused care, and identifying five key recommendations: prioritise lifelong health, strengthen patient and clinician engagement, adopt new models of care, build workforce capacity, and advance advocacy and policy. This paper outlines practical implementation strategies to support adoption of the WHF Roadmap on Cardiac Rehabilitation (a pathway to improve lifelong cardiovascular health) in diverse real-world settings. We present adaptable approaches at the patient, clinician, and system levels, focusing on how cardiovascular rehabilitation can be embedded across the continuum of care with modernised concepts and terminology. Key strategies include integrating rehabilitation earlier and more consistently into care pathways, leveraging data for continuous quality improvement, and aligning funding mechanisms and policy frameworks to enable sustainable delivery. Importantly, implementation must remain responsive to local contexts, including variations in resources, workforce capacity, and population needs. Robust research strategies are also outlined that evaluate approaches to translate global priorities into routine practice and support the concept of being the lifelong cardiovascular health program for all.