Phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation programs are associated with improvements in exercise tolerance, coronary risk factors, and psychosocial well-being. Nevertheless, previous reports have generally evaluated the global effectiveness of these programs (i.e., on all subjects, collectively), which may serve to camouflage or attenuate the impact of these interventions on specific patient subsets. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of a contemporary cardiovascular risk reduction program (INTER_xVENT), using a computerized database on 117 patients ( age = 66.5 yrs; 68% men; 96% Caucasian) who completed pre- and post Phase 2 evaluations. Exercise training involved three 45-60 minute sessions per week at 40/50 to 70% VO2 max for 6-8 weeks. RESULTS: The effectiveness of the exercise training program was substantiated by significant (p < 0.05) reductions in heart rate (-8 beats/min), systolic blood pressure (-11 mmHg), and rating of perceived exertion (-2, 6-20 scale) at a standard submaximal workload. Initial and follow-up ratings of overall health were improved: excellent (2.6 to 4.3%); and, very good (20.7 to 35.7%). Average changes (p < 0.05 unless otherwise indicated) for all participants and those with abnormal baseline risk factors were: systolic blood pressure (-4 mmHg; -16 mmHg); diastolic blood pressure (-5 mmHg, -18 mmHg); total cholesterol (-19 mg/dL, -75 mg/dL); LDL-cholesterol (-17 mg/dL, -61 mg/dL); HDL-cholesterol (-1 mg/dL [NS], + 11 mg/dL); and, triglycerides (-5 mg/dL [NS], -82 mg/dL), respectively. CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest that a dose-response relationship characterizes the change in coronary risk factors subsequent to a Phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation program. Patients with the worst coronary risk factor profiles at baseline, demonstrated the greatest improvements.