SynthesisESC heart failure2025
Cardiac rehabilitation and health-related quality of life in preserved ejection fraction heart failure: A meta-analysis.
Synthesis in ESC heart failure, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Cardiac rehabilitation and health-related quality of life in preserved ejection fraction heart failure: A meta-analysis.ESC heart failure · 2025Pooled it
- Cardiac Rehabilitation in Heart Failure: Evidence, Coverage, and Implementation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Cardiac Rehabilitation-Current Paradigms and Challenges Across the Cardiovascular Continuum.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsThe study aims to evaluate the effects of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (ExCR) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with heart failure preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
methodsThis study is a systematic review and meta-analysis. Six bibliographic databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane CENTRAL and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database) were searched to April 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), involving adults with HFpEF undertaking ExCR compared with no exercise control. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore potential sources of statistical heterogeneity.
resultsTwelve RCTs recruiting a total of 1005 HFpEF patients with a median of 16 weeks follow-up were included. Four trials defined HFpEF as an ejection fraction of ≥45% and eight trials as ≥50%. Compared with control, ExCR participation was associated with improvements in disease-specific HRQoL as assessed by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) [weighted mean difference (WMD): -6.72, 95% confidence interval (Cl): -12.00 to -1.44, P = 0.013] and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) total scores (WMD: 5.34, 95% CI: 1.75 to 8.93, P < 0.0001) and generic HRQoL assessed by Short-Form 36 and EQ-5D. There was evidence (P ≤ 0.05) of greater improvements in MLHFQ total score with ExCR in trials with shorter exercise duration (<60 min/session), the presence of risk of bias, and larger sample size (>45 patients). Included trials were small and demonstrated substantial clinical and statistical heterogeneity with a range of: (1) population definitions (e.g., definition of HFpEF of ≥45% vs. ≥50%, level and nature of comorbidities), (2) ExCR interventions (e.g., exercise only vs. comprehensive CR programmes, different modes and intensity of exercise, centre- and home-based delivery) and (3) methods of HRQoL assessment (e.g., disease specific vs. generic measure).
conclusionsThis meta-analysis of RCT evidence shows that participation in ExCR provides important gains in HRQoL of people with HFpEF. However, the results should be interpreted with caution given the substantial clinical and statistical heterogeneity. Well reported, fully powered RCTs with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.