FAQ

Cardiac rehabilitation (cardiac rehab) is a structured programme combining exercise, education, and psychological support to help people recover after a cardiac event such as a heart attack, cardiac arrest, or heart surgery. It is delivered by a multidisciplinary team and is typically offered as a course of weekly sessions over 6–8 weeks.

If you have survived a cardiac arrest, cardiac rehabilitation is recommended and you should be offered a referral by your cardiac team or GP. Evidence shows that it reduces mortality, improves cardiovascular fitness, reduces anxiety and depression, and helps people return to work and normal activities with greater confidence.

Cardiac rehab programmes typically include supervised, gradually increasing physical exercise tailored to your individual fitness and heart condition; education sessions covering topics such as medications, diet, managing risk factors, and understanding your condition; and psychological support addressing anxiety, mood, and adjustment to life after a cardiac event.

If you have not been referred to cardiac rehabilitation, ask your GP or cardiologist. Some programmes are also available online or as hybrid models. The British Heart Foundation’s Cardiac Rehab service finder can help you locate programmes near you.

Memory difficulties are one of the most common and distressing effects of cardiac arrest, and they are a normal consequence of how cardiac arrest affects the brain.

During cardiac arrest, the brain is deprived of oxygen. The hippocampus — the brain structure most important for forming and retaining new memories — is particularly vulnerable to oxygen deprivation. Even a relatively brief period of hypoxia can result in lasting changes to memory function.

Common memory difficulties after cardiac arrest include trouble retaining new information, forgetting things shortly after being told them, losing track of conversations, difficulty remembering names, and problems with prospective memory (remembering to do things). Some survivors also have a gap in memory around the time of the arrest itself — they have no recollection of collapsing or of their time in ICU. This memory gap is normal and is not the same as ongoing memory impairment.

The good news is that memory often improves significantly over the first year of recovery, as the brain heals and adapts. Strategies such as writing things down, using calendars and reminders, reducing cognitive load, and being patient with yourself can all help in the meantime.

If memory difficulties are significantly affecting your daily life or your ability to work, ask your GP for a referral to a neuropsychologist or cognitive rehabilitation service.

Fatigue is one of the most common and most underestimated effects of cardiac arrest. Many survivors find that they tire far more easily than before — sometimes feeling exhausted after activities that previously required no effort at all.

This fatigue has several causes. The brain and body undergo significant physiological stress during cardiac arrest and the subsequent period of intensive care. The brain in particular may have experienced a period of reduced oxygen (hypoxia), which requires significant energy to recover from. Heart function, medications, disturbed sleep, and the psychological impact of trauma can all contribute to fatigue.

Fatigue often improves over time, but it can be frustrating to live with, particularly in the early months of recovery. Some practical strategies that can help include pacing yourself — doing activities in shorter bursts with rest periods rather than pushing through — prioritising sleep, being honest with people around you about your energy levels, and gradually building activity levels with guidance from your cardiac rehabilitation team or physiotherapist.

If fatigue is significantly affecting your daily life, discuss it with your GP or cardiac team. An assessment of your heart function, anaemia, thyroid, and sleep quality may identify treatable contributing factors.

Recovery from cardiac arrest is highly individual, but most survivors experience recovery as a gradual process that continues for 12 months or more — not a single moment of being "better."

Physical recovery from the cardiac arrest itself and any procedures (such as ICD implantation) typically takes weeks. Cognitive recovery — improvements in memory, concentration, and mental fatigue — often continues over the first year, with many survivors noticing meaningful improvement month by month. Psychological recovery, including processing the trauma of the event and adjusting to life with an ICD, can take longer and is not always linear.

Factors that affect the pace and extent of recovery include how long the brain was without oxygen during the arrest, how quickly CPR and defibrillation were given, the underlying cause of the arrest, age and general health, and access to rehabilitation and psychological support.

It is important not to compare your recovery to someone else’s. Many survivors make an excellent recovery and return to work, exercise, and a full life. Others are left with lasting cognitive or physical effects that require longer-term support and adjustment. Both experiences are valid.

If you feel that your recovery is not progressing or that you are struggling with the psychological impact, talk to your GP or cardiac team. Cardiac rehabilitation, neuropsychological support, and talking therapies can all play a role.

Supporting a partner or family member through recovery from cardiac arrest can be as challenging as the event itself — and co-survivors often neglect their own needs while focusing entirely on the person recovering.

A few things that can help:

Learn about what to expect. Recovery from cardiac arrest takes time and often involves physical fatigue, cognitive difficulties such as memory and concentration problems, emotional changes, and psychological challenges such as anxiety and depression. Understanding that these are normal and that recovery often continues for 12 months or more can help reduce frustration and worry.

Attend clinic appointments together. This gives you the opportunity to ask questions directly and hear the same information as the survivor. Clinicians can also address your concerns.

Talk to someone about your own experience. Co-survivors need support too. Your GP can help, and you may be able to access talking therapy through NHS Talking Therapies. Peer support — connecting with others who have been in your position — is particularly valued by co-survivors.

Give the survivor space to recover at their own pace, but do not become their full-time carer at the expense of your own wellbeing. Boundaries are healthy and sustainable.

Contact Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK. We can connect you with resources, peer support, and others who have been through the same experience — including co-survivors.

When the heart is restarted after a cardiac arrest, recovery is not immediate. Admission to the hospital is always required for further treatment and investigation to establish the cause. Provided good CPR has been performed while the heart has stopped and defibrillation has been carried out promptly, the outlook is promising with most patients making a good recovery.

Some survivors of cardiac arrest experience medical problems, including impaired consciousness and cognitive deficits. Functional recovery continues over the first six to 12 months after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in adults. It is common for survivors to have memory loss and to experience depression and anxiety for some time after their event.

Most people who survive SCA can return to their previous level of functioning. All survivors need follow-up care with physicians who specialize in heart conditions (cardiologists and electrophysiologists).