SynthesisPeerJ2026
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in patients with acute heart failure.
Synthesis in PeerJ, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Acute heart failure often leads to impaired physical function, high rehospitalization rates, and poor quality of life. Although exercise-based rehabilitation benefits chronic heart failure patients, its feasibility in acute heart failure is limited. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation offers a potential alternative by safely inducing muscle contractions without causing dyspnea. Methods: The protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration number CRD42023453116). Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase was conducted up to October 13, 2025. Randomized controlled trials comparing neuromuscular electrical stimulation to control treatments in patients with acute heart failure were included. Data synthesis was performed using Review Manager 5.4. Results: Seven randomized controlled trials, with methodological quality ranging from fair to excellent (Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scores 5-9), were included. Pooled data analysis revealed that neuromuscular electrical stimulation significantly improved 6-min walking distance (mean difference = 69.92 m, 95% confidence interval CI [32.17-1 07.68], Conclusion: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation was noted to be effective for improving physical capacity and quality of life in patients with acute heart failure. It offers a promising option for patients unable to engage in conventional rehabilitation. Further large-scale, multicenter Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) are needed to confirm these findings.
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Registered trials
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.