Objective:

To present the scientific evidence of CR research made in Costa Rica.

Methods:

This systematic review searched articles in electronic databases: “PUBMED” “ScienceDirect” “SportDiscus” y “Google Scholar”, using keywords: “Rehabilitación cardiaca en Costa Rica”, “Cardiac Rehabilitation AND Costa Rica”, The studies included were from years 2000 to October 2021 and publications on indexed journals.

Results:

A total of 14 publications were found in indexed journals, 8 in Costa Rican journals and 6 on international journals. The main results from these publications were that VO2max increased between 19% to 30%. functional capacity improved 31% to 34%, systolic blood pressure decreased 4 mmHg to 7.8 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure reduced 1.2 to 2 mmHg. Improvements in BMI, total cholesterol, HDL-C and reductions in triglycerides were also found. Perceived stress decreased by 50% and mood states of fatigue reduced 58%, tension 60% and vigor increased 31% after one or several weeks.

Conclusión:

CR programs in Costa Rica reported improvements in VO2max, functional capacity, reductions in blood pressure, and improvements in coronary risk factors from patients with cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, CR contributes to improving psychological outcomes by reducing stress, improvement of mood states and quality of life in cardiac patients.