Prevention & lipidsMeta-analysis
Cardiac rehabilitation and frailty: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies and randomised trials
- inverse variance random-effects models
- observational and randomised trials meta-analysed separately
CINAHL, EMBASE and MEDLINE searched; two reviewers independently screened and abstracted data
Authors' conclusion
The prevalence of frailty is high in CR and is associated with greater mortality risk; however, CR improves frailty and physical health outcomes.
Study context
- Population
- Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participants assessed with a validated frailty measure, studies 2000–202334 articles (26 observational, 8 RCTs)
- Participants
- 19,360 participants
- Outcome
- Admission frailty prevalence, frailty and physical function changes, post-CR hospitalization and mortality
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Admission frailty prevalence · CR admission
Frailty Index and Kihon Checklist (14 studies), 95% CI 29-62%
46%
Frailty Phenotype (11 studies), 95% CI 28-52%
40%
Further pooled results
Frailty change during CR
- Frailty improved following CR participation (SMD)
- 0.68, 95% CI 0.37-0.99; P < 0.0001
- six studies
All-cause mortality by admission frailty (observational studies)
- Higher admission frailty and increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR)
- 9.24, 95% CI 2.93-29.16; P = 0.0001
- four studies
Physical health outcomes in frailer participants
- Frailer participants at admission had worse physical health outcomes, but improved over the course of CR
Original publication
Cardiac rehabilitation and frailty: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 22 July 2024. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwae239
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it