Nourishing Recovery: Integrative Approaches to Addressing Comorbid Depression and Malnutrition in Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Patients (bundle)

Presented by: Carolyn Feibig, MS, RD, CCTD; Megan Hays, PhD, ABPP, FAACVPR
Disclosures: None

1.25 CEUs: AACVPR, AMA, CDR, ANCC, AARC, ACSM

Description: This session, recorded at the 2024 Annual Meeting, will discuss how while cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation (CR/PR) staff are most often tasked with helping patients lose weight, malnutrition is also very common and frequently undiagnosed in our patient population. Malnutrition becomes more prevalent with advancing age, frailty and in the presence of comorbidities, including depression. Depression is more prevalent in individuals with cardiopulmonary conditions than the general population and can be associated with malnutrition through various interconnected mechanisms. While depression and malnutrition are both associated with increased morbidity and mortality in cardiopulmonary disease, they are modifiable factors that can be addressed in CR/PR programs. In this session you will hear from a licensed dietitian and a board-certified rehabilitation psychologist on how to address comorbid depression and malnutrition through a holistic and integrated healthcare team approach. 

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the intricate relationship between depression, malnutrition and cardiopulmonary conditions.
2. Review psychometrically-sound screening tools for identifying malnutrition and depression in CR and PR patients that are consistent with AACVPR guidelines.
3. Explore evidence-based interventions that CR and PR staff can employ to address comorbid depression and malnutrition in patients undergoing CR/PR, including how a more flexible and creative approach can lead to better outcomes.
4. Learn how a multidisciplinary approach to comorbid malnutrition and depression can enhance rehabilitation outcomes and quality of life for CR and PR patients.