application of artificial intelligence in personalized digital cardiac rehabilitation: a novel approach in digital health business

Cardiac rehabilitation and structured exercise programs are essential components of cardiovascular health recovery. with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (ai) in digital environments, it has become possible to personalize exercise and rehabilitation programs for cardiac patients, thereby enhancing both effectiveness and adherence. this study aimed to evaluate the impact of an ai-driven physiological data analysis system on optimizing exercise programs and improving health and cognitive outcomes in cardiac patients, while exploring its implications for the digital health business. ten cardiac patients (aged 60–65 years) from farhangian hospital, tehran, participated in a 12-week digital rehabilitation program. the intervention consisted of intermittent cycling sessions with variable intensity. physiological data, including vo₂max, heart rate variability (hrv), blood pressure, and cognitive performance (stroop test), were collected digitally. an ai-based algorithm analyzed these data to customize exercise intensity and recovery intervals for each participant. statistical analysis was performed using repeated measures anova and paired t-tests with a significance level of α=0.05. after the intervention, participants showed significant improvement in vo₂max (from 22.4 ± 3.1 to 25.6 ± 3.0 ml/kg/min, p<0.01) and stroop accuracy (from 76.2 ± 8.4% to 84.0 ± 7.2%, p<0.05). hrv increased by 12% (p<0.05), while average blood pressure slightly decreased (p>0.05). the ai-driven feedback enabled dynamic program adjustments that enhanced both physiological and cognitive outcomes across individuals. the integration of ai into digital cardiac rehabilitation significantly improves exercise precision, cognitive performance, and patient engagement. beyond clinical benefits, this approach also presents new opportunities for digital health entrepreneurship, enabling the creation of personalized, data-driven rehabilitation services. such innovations can transform healthcare delivery in emerging digital economies.