Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesMeta-analysis
Comparative effectiveness of exercise training modalities in heart transplant recipients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
- Bayesian network meta-analysis
- random-effects models
- Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis (CINeMA) certainty assessment
Authors' conclusion
This review demonstrates that ET significantly improves peak VO2 in HTx recipients, with HIIT and CT outperforming usual care. HIIT also surpasses MICT in improving peak VO2.
Study context
- Population
- Heart transplant recipients
- Participants
- 473 recipients · 13 RCTs
- Comparison
- Exercise training modalities vs usual care
- Outcome
- Peak VO2
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
MD, mL.kg⁻¹.min⁻¹ (95% CrI)
HIIT vs Usual care
4.34(1.41–5.6)
CT vs Usual care
3.49(1.15–7.44)
HIIT vs MICT
2.09(0.05–4.03)
Further pooled results
Heart rate response, ventilatory efficiency
- No significant differences between exercise training (ET) modalities
Quality of life
- ET associated with improvements in specific QoL subdomains
Safety
Exercise-related adverse events
- No exercise-related adverse events reported
Original publication
Comparative effectiveness of exercise training modalities in heart transplant recipients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 26 September 2025. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf617
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it