Abstract
ObjectiveTo systematically review the effectiveness of psychologically-enhanced cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in improving psychological and functional outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease. Data sourcesA systematic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science, up to January 31, 2024. Study selectionTwo reviewers independently identified randomized clinical trials that evaluated the effectiveness of psychologically-enhanced CR in improving psychological and functional outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease. The search yielded 1848 results. Finally, data from 14 studies (1531 participants) were included in the review. Data extraction and data synthesisInformation regarding cardiac rehabilitation phase, duration of the intervention, group characteristics, measured outcomes, and the conclusions drawn by the authors was extracted. The Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for Randomized Trials was used to evaluate the methodological quality. ResultsPooled results indicate that psychologically-enhanced CR is more effective than specific cardiac training alone in maintaining lower resting blood pressure, with a mean difference of -3.09 (95% CI: -5.18 to -1.00). Furthermore, psychologically-enhanced CR shows superiority in improving patients' quality of life compared to specific cardiac training alone, with a standardized mean difference of 0.15 (95% CI: 0.01 to 0.31). Analyses of depression and anxiety level, exercise tolerance, and blood lipid profile did not show significant differences between the two treatment conditions. ConclusionPsychologically-enhanced CR shows a positive effect on reducing resting blood pressure and improving the quality of life. However, the supportive methods were of limited effectiveness in addressing the psychological aspects of health. Systematic Review Registration NumberPROSPERO CRD42022304063. Contribution of the paper•Psychologically-enhanced cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has the potential to improve the effectiveness of CR.•Limited effectiveness in the psychological aspects of health requires consideration.•New therapeutic solutions to manage mental health during CR should be sought.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
