OPTImizing CArdiac REhabilitation by REfining Sleep and STress

CR focuses on the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by promoting a healthy lifestyle and is a valuable approach to improve quality of life, mortality and hospital readmissions. However, optimization of CR is necessary. Current CR programs pay insufficient attention to sleep and stress problems, despite more than 50% of CVD patients experiencing sleep problems and high stress levels. Both sleep and stress are associated with adverse cardiovascular health and a decreased quality of life. The hypothesis for this study is that adding a behavioural intervention will improve sleep and perceived stress (primary outcomes), along with positive outcomes on biomarkers of chronic stress, QoL, cardiometabolic risk factors, physical fitness, lifestyle components, and psychosocial well-being. The project involves a multicenter randomized controlled trial. The intervention group (100 patients) will receive standard CR along with the RESST intervention, consisting of 5-6 on-site group sessions integrating principles from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and focused on improving sleep and stress. The control group (100 patients) will receive standard multidisciplinary CR only. The primary outcomes of the study include both objective and subjective measures of sleep, as well as perceived stress. Secondary outcomes encompass quality of life, chronic stress biomarkers, cardiometabolic risk factors, physical fitness, lifestyle components and psychosocial wellbeing. These outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention, as well as at a 6-month follow-up.