Outcomes and cost of women-focused cardiac rehabilitation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
3,697 participants
women-focused cardiac rehabilitation (CR)
active comparison group
functional capacity, physical (MD=6.37, 95% CI=3.14-9.59)
Abstract
The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of women-focused cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on patient outcomes and cost. Medline, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus and Emcare were searched for articles from inception through to May 2020. Primary studies of any design were included, with adult females with any cardiac diseases. "Women-focused" CR comprised programs or sessions with >50% females, or 1-1 programming tailored to women's preferences. No studies were excluded on the basis of outcome. Two independent reviewers rated citations for potential inclusion, and one extracted data, including on quality, which was checked independently. Random-effects meta-analysis was used where there were ≥3 trials with the same outcome; certainty of evidence for these was determined based on GRADE. For other outcomes, SWiM was applied. 3498 unique citations were identified, of which 28 studies (52 papers) were included (3,697 participants; 11 trials). No meta-analysis could be performed for outcomes with "usual care" comparisons. Compared to "active comparison" group, women-focused CR had no meaningful additional effect on functional capacity. Women-focused CR meaningfully improved physical (mean difference [MD]=6.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]=3.14-9.59; I Women-focused CR is associated with clinical benefit, although there is mixed evidence and more research is needed. CRD42020189760.