Cardiovascular rehabilitation (CVR) is a proven practice within the continuum of secondary cardiovascular prevention, with a proven impact on reducing mortality and readmissions.(1) Patients who adhere to rehabilitation programs experience improvements in their functional capacity and quality of life, as well as an increased ability to work and/or remain active, achieve greater autonomy, and, consequently, reduce the need for special care, disability, and loss of social productivity, all of which translate into lower workplace absenteeism, lower social costs, and greater economic participation. (2-4)

The study published in the Argentine Journal of Cardiology titled “RENACER-CV: National Registry of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Centers in Argentina” by Ignacio Davolos et al. (5) sought to provide accurate information on the organizational characteristics, geographic coverage, human resources, care modalities, and equipment of CVR centers throughout the country. This is a clear example of how SAC’s councils—in this case, the Exercise Cardiology Council—as well as its research and health policy divisions, can help identify opportunities for improvement and regional development at the national level.

The results obtained from the registry show an uneven distribution of CVR centers across Argentina, with a strong concentration in the Province of Buenos Aires and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, highlighting a regional inequity that limits effective access to this intervention and demonstrating a significant structural barrier for large segments of the population.

In addition to the afore mentioned geographic limitations, the registry revealed serious economic and health coverage shortcomings that emerge as an additional factor contributing to inequity, demonstrating that the lack of health insurance is one of the main factors limiting participation in CVR programs.

As a result, it is imperative to highlight the research group’s efforts to gather accurate, highquality information on the current state of CVR programs in Argentina. It is a call for the political spectrum to act from the perspective of health planning, using the available information to guide public policy decisions and management of the Argentine health system.