ACADEMIA Letters The utilisation of virtual reality in cardiac rehabilitation: can virtual reality be used as a novel alternative approach to traditional cardiac rehabilitation? Ahmad Osailan, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is well-established management for patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and reduces cardiovascular mortality. Despite the well-known benefts of CR, attendance and delivery of CR remain an issue. One of the novel approaches which may assist in overcoming poor attendance to CR programs is the use of virtual reality (VR) based CR. With the advancement of VR technology, VR based CR can be delivered on-site and remotely when necessary. Despite the potential of inclusion of VR technology into CR, studies about the inclusion of VR based CR in cardiac patients on various clinical outcomes are limited, and some are still ongoing. This narrative review highlights the evidence on the use of VR based CR in post revascularisation surgeries, its efect on body composition and psychological parameters. Finally, a discussion of the available studies and how they can help formulate future studies in this emerging feld are discussed. Introduction Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) cause high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Heart attack and stroke, a type of CVD, constitute more than 85% of mortality rates. Many risk factors are linked with increased risk of CVD, including tobacco use, unhealthy diet, obesity, and physical inactivity, which is preferred to be addressed as soon as possible. Cardiac reha- bilitation ofers comprehensive management addressing the above risk factors associated with CVD. Academia Letters, June 2022 Corresponding Author: Ahmad Osailan, ahmadosailan@gmail.com Citation: Osailan, A. (2022). The utilisation of virtual reality in cardiac rehabilitation: can virtual reality be used as a novel alternative approach to traditional cardiac rehabilitation? Academia Letters, Article 5621. 1 ©2022 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0