Grant for Thijs Eijsvogels to develop an innovative cardiac rehabilitation program Dekker grant from the Dutch Heart Foundation opens door for STEP COACH program

Exercise physiologist Thijs Eijsvogels of Radboud university medical center has been awarded a Dekker grant by the Dutch Heart Foundation. This is a personal research grant for talented scientists that is awarded annually. With this grant of 780,000 euros, Eijsvogels will work on a special exercise program for patients with cardiovascular diseases. He wants to ensure that patients live longer in better health and prevent them from developing cardiovascular disease again. 

For everyone, but especially for people who have been treated for their heart, sufficient exercise is important. For example, they recover better from surgery. Exercise also reduces a person's risk of a subsequent cardiovascular disease. Patients are therefore offered cardiac rehabilitation after heart surgery. In cardiac rehabilitation, patients work on their condition and relearn the limits of their bodies. 

Taking more steps

Unfortunately, many patients are unable to maintain sufficient exercise at home after cardiac rehabilitation. Exercise physiologist Thijs Eijsvogels of Radboud university medical center is therefore going to develop an innovative STEP COACH program that helps heart patients with this and encourages them to take more steps.  

Patients receive information about how exercise improves health. They consult with a healthcare provider about how many steps per day are feasible. People from the patient's environment are also involved. Participants in the study will be provided with a step-count tool on their phone or smartwatch that will constantly track their steps. On a dedicated app and website, patients and their caregivers can then view and discuss exercise behavior together. They can also look together at whether it is necessary to adjust the goals.  

With his research, Eijsvogels wants to show that heart patients exercise more by following the STEP COACH program. He also expects that the physical and mental health of the patients will improve, and that people will develop cardiovascular disease less often. Eijsvogels: 'I am very happy with this award. If the program works, I hope that the STEP COACH program will become a permanent part of cardiac rehabilitation, and that all rehabilitation centers and departments will be able to offer it.’

About the Dekker Grant of the Dutch Heart Foundation

Scientific research is desperately needed to prevent people from dying or becoming ill and increasingly ill due to cardiovascular disease. With its personal Dekker grants, the Dutch Heart Foundation therefore tries to connect top talent to cardiovascular disease research. A Dekker grant helps researchers to set up and expand their own line of research. The Dekker Grant is named after Dr. E. Dekker, former director of the Dutch Heart Foundation. In the Netherlands, he was the initiator of citizen assistance in the event of a cardiac arrest.