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Objective: To describe the patterns of use of cardiac rehabilitation in Victoria and to assess whether the survival benefits predicted in clinical trials have been realised in the community.

Design: Cohort study based on data linkage.

Participants: All patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in Victoria in 1998 (n = 12 821).

Interventions: Attendance at one of 66 participating outpatient cardiac rehabilitation centres in Victoria.

Main outcome measures: Rates of attendance at rehabilitation based on key factors such as diagnosis, age, sex, and comorbidity. Five‐year survival for attendees compared with non‐attendees.

Results: Rates of participation in rehabilitation were 15% for AMI, 37% for CABG, and 14% for PTCA. Rehabilitation attendance rates dropped sharply after 70 years of age. Attendees had a 35 …