Pain As A Potential Impact Factor In Cardiac Rehabilitation: Literature Review
Joao Rafael Rocha da Silva and Mariana de Oliveira
Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for substantial damage to the health system,
being the main cause of mortality in the world, just as pain is the main cause of disability in the world.
It is common for individuals diagnosed with both pathologies as well as other comorbidities, to be
associated with a high risk of mortality. The study of pain in this specific population can bring us greater
clarity on the impact it has on cardiac rehabilitation.
Objective: To identify studies that researched the impact of pain in patients with cardiovascular disease,
and to analyze the impact of pain on the rehabilitation of these individuals.
Methods: We performed an integrative literature review in the PUBMED database based on clinical
practice, selecting studies that evaluated pain, functional capacity, quality of life, and treatment
adherence, the studies were analyzed according to criteria of practice based on scientific evidence.
Results: A total of 380 studies using the search strategy, where 55 studies were selected after reading
the title and abstract, and after analysis 23 studies were included according to the inclusion criteria.
Despite the high relevance of the subject in the literature, there are still few studies with a high level
of scientific evidence, which address the impact of pain in individuals with cardiovascular disease, but
primary studies have shown a direct correlation between the two pathologies, being associated with
clinical worsening of these individuals, highlighting the importance of a better approach to pain.
Conclusion: Pain is a common pathology among individuals with cardiovascular disease, decreasing
functional capacity, and treatment adherence, and triggering changes in the autonomic nervous system,
which can negatively impact cardiac rehabilitation.
