Conclusions Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation is effective at reducing important clinical outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease .
While our analysis was constrained by the quality of included trials and missing information about intervention components , there appears to be little differential effect of variations in exercise intervention , particularly on mortality outcomes .
Background While the clinical benefits of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation are well established , there is extensive variation in the interventions used within these trials .
It is unknown whether variations in individual components of these exercise interventions provide different relative contributions to overall clinical outcomes .
This study aims to systematic ally examine the relationship between individual components of the exercise intervention in cardiac rehabilitation ( such as intensity and frequency ) and clinical outcomes for people with coronary heart disease .
Exercise testing and training in physically disabled men with clinical evidence of coronary artery disease.
A prospect i ve , r and omized , controlled clinical trial in patients with coronary artery disease ( CAD ) and a concurrent physical disability evaluated the effects of a home exercise training program on cardiovascular function and blood lipids .  Eighty-eight men between the ages of 42 and 72 years ( mean 62 ) with documented CAD and a physical disability with functional use of > or = 2 extremities including 1 arm were r and omized to either a 6-month home exercise training program using wheelchair ergometry or to a control group that received usual and customary care .  Both groups received dietary instructions and were requested to follow a fat-controlled diet .  Exercise test variables with echocardiography and blood lipids were measured at baseline and at 6 months . The home exercise training group significantly improved both peak exercise left ventricular ejection fraction ( p = 0.007 ) and fractional shortening ( p = 0.01 ) between baseline to 6 months , whereas the control group showed no significant changes . Exercise training effects of decreased resting heart rate ( p = 0.03 ) and decreased peak rate pressure product ( p = 0.03 ) were also found in the treatment group . No exercise-related cardiac complications occurred . Both groups significantly ( p < or = 0.01 ) increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels . These results indicate that physically disabled men with CAD can safely participate in a home exercise training program which may result in intrinsic cardiac benefits . The metabolic cost of activities of daily living imposed on this disabled population may also have a positive effect on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels
Conclusions Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation is effective at reducing important clinical outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease .
While our analysis was constrained by the quality of included trials and missing information about intervention components , there appears to be little differential effect of variations in exercise intervention , particularly on mortality outcomes .
Background While the clinical benefits of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation are well established , there is extensive variation in the interventions used within these trials .
It is unknown whether variations in individual components of these exercise interventions provide different relative contributions to overall clinical outcomes .
This study aims to systematic ally examine the relationship between individual components of the exercise intervention in cardiac rehabilitation ( such as intensity and frequency ) and clinical outcomes for people with coronary heart disease .