Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for adults with atrial fibrillation

Abstract

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for adults with atrial fibrillation.

A systematic overview to quantify the gender imbalance in cardiovascular rehabilitation trials

“…The eight selected SRs were conducted by the Cochrane heart group 12–17 or the Cochrane vascular group 18,19 between 2014 and 2018, and included 155 RCTs enrolling a total of 23,779 persons with CVD. Overall, the SRs were focused on heart failure, 12 coronary heart disease, 13 heart valve surgery, 14 non-ulcerative chronic venous insufficiency, 18 atrial fibrillation, 15 heart transplant, 16 intermittent claudication 19 and stable angina. 17 All studies analysed the effects of exercise-based interventions (supervised or unsupervised inpatient, outpatient and community or home-based programmes) performed alone or in combination with psychosocial or educational interventions, or both (i.e.…”

“…The patients' mean age ranged from 45 to 81 years; however, in four reviews, the participants' mean age was not clearly stated. 14,15,18,19 Finally, a subgroup analysis according to gender was planned for four of the eight Cochrane SRs analysed, although the specific forest plots for those outcomes to be re-evaluated by the subgroup analysis were not reported. 12,14,15,17 The main characteristics of the included Cochrane SRs are detailed in Table 1.…”

“…26 Indeed, a subgroup analysis according to gender was planned for only half of the SRs selected in our study, although additional forest plots from the subgroup gender analysis were not reported. 12,14,15,17…”

The role and outcome of cardiac rehabilitation program in patients with atrial fibrillation

“…In fact, the arrhythmia itself is associated with lower exercise capacity and physical fitness . While multiple studies showed benefit in increasing cardiovascular fitness in this patient population with subsequent decrease in incidence or recurrences of AF episodes, only few have examined the impact of the arrhythmia on cardiac rehabilitation and fitness training without being able to evaluate the real impact of exercise based cardiac rehabilitation on mortality or cardiovascular adverse events …”

“…10 While multiple studies showed benefit in increasing cardiovascular fitness in this patient population with subsequent decrease in incidence or recurrences of AF episodes, 11,12 only few have examined the impact of the arrhythmia on cardiac rehabilitation and fitness training without being able to evaluate the real impact of exercise based cardiac rehabilitation on mortality or cardiovascular adverse events. 13 Accordingly, the aim of this study was to examine effects of AF on cardiac rehabilitation and associated outcomes. Specifically, we sought to evaluate the role of the fitness level at baseline as well as the degree of improvement among AF patients undergoing CR, and its effect on cardiac related morbidity and total mortality.…”