2024, Vol. 6, Issue 12, Part A

Aim: Cardio-respiratory state patients' compatibility after cardiac rehabilitation: It is less clear whether cardiac rehabilitation can improve cardiorespiratory fitness and what factors might affect these improvements.

Method: Detailed literature searches of electronic databases, including PubMed, Ovid, Web of Science, and the NIH library. Use broad search terms like exercise, cardiac rehabilitation, training, functional capacity, fitness (cardiovascular fitness), VO2peak, and VO2max. Our goal was to conduct an analysis of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programmes offered to the 'core' cardiovascular patient population, as well as to manually search for papers on changes in cardiorespiratory fitness in cardiac rehabilitation patients. To identify potential sources of heterogeneity, we performed a random-effects meta-analysis of mean improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, as well as subgroup analyses.

Results: Data from 38 studies produced 57 groups (n=4027) with a mean improvement of 1.62 (95% CI 1.21–1.86) METs, (pb0.001); equivalent to standardised effect size of ES=0.91 (95% CI 0.83–1.2). As this value was highly heterogeneous (Q=873, pb0.001) we performed subgroup analyses on the effect size data. Gains in fitness were highest in patients receiving >36 exercise sessions in studies where fitness was assessed using the Naughton Protocol. Patient characteristics associated with the highest fitness gains were age (being young) and sex (being male training in a male-only exercise group). Changes in fitness were unrelated to programme type (comprehensive or exercise-only), duration or study design. There was no association with patient's baseline fitness levels.

Conclusion: The meta-analysis study examines changes in cardiovascular fitness in cardiac rehabilitation patients and finds clinically significant improvements in hedge numbers of patients from various types of rehabilitation programs. Statistical analysis helps to describe the characteristics of cardiac rehabilitation programs that can improve patients' cardiopulmonary fitness.