Valvular & structural heart diseaseCohort study
Cardiac rehabilitation after transcatheter aortic valve implantation before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a whole-population study
- retrospective cohort study
- whole-population electronic health records
Authors' conclusion
CR after TAVI declined during the first COVID-19 lockdown but rebounded quickly. CR was associated with lower all-cause and non-cardiovascular rehospitalisation but was not associated with lower HF rehospitalisation or mortality. More research is needed to confirm these clinical findings.
Study context
- Population
- All transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) recipients in England (2018–2023)TAVI recipients, 1090 (4.4%) attended cardiac rehabilitation (CR)
- Participants
- 24,925 recipients
- Exposure
- CR participation vs no CR participation after TAVI
- CRn = 1,090
- Outcome
- unplanned all-cause rehospitalisation
- Follow-up
- Was up to 5 years, with a minimum of 12 months
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Hazard ratio
0.88
95% CI 0.79–0.98
P = 0.019
By group
CR participation vs no CR participation after TAVI
HR 0.88 (95% CI 0.79–0.98); P = 0.019
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
Heart failure (HF) rehospitalisation
Rate, per 10 000 person-days
| Comparison | CR | non-CR | HR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR · adjusted; no evidence of an association | 1.05 | 1.02 | 0.94 (0.75–1.19) | P = 0.607 | |
| 0.512Hazard ratio (log scale) |
non-cardiovascular rehospitalisation
Rate, per 10 000 person-days
| Comparison | CR | non-CR | HR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR · adjusted; lower risk with CR | 4.53 | 4.82 | 0.84 (0.76–0.94) | P = 0.002 | |
| 0.512Hazard ratio (log scale) |
mortality
Rate, per 10 000 person-days
| Comparison | CR | non-CR | HR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR · adjusted; no evidence of an association | 3.61 | 3.84 | 0.95 (0.84–1.07) | P = 0.383 | |
| 0.512Hazard ratio (log scale) |
CR rates by pandemic period
- first COVID-19 lockdown
- 1.57 per 10 000 person-days
- post pandemic
- 3.24
Original publication
Cardiac rehabilitation after transcatheter aortic valve implantation before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a whole-population study. Heart. Published 3 April 2026. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2025-327186
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it