OBJECTIVE Many patients fail to attend cardiac rehabilitation. Attempts to identify sociodemographic or clinical predictors of non-attendance have not been very successful; therfore, this study aimed to determine whether the illness beliefs held during hospitalisation by patients who had suffered acute myocardial infarction or who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery could predict cardiac rehabilitation attendance.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS 152 patients were prospectively studied of whom 41% had attended cardiac rehabilitation at six months.

RESULTS In addition to being older, less aware of their cholesterol values, and less likely to be employed, non-attenders were less likely to believe their condition was controllable and that their lifestyle may have contributed to their illness.

CONCLUSION It should now be determined whether interventions aimed at optimising certain perceptions could promote cardiac rehabilitation uptake among those patients who could benefit the most.