title: Medium-term effects of cardiac rehabilitation in Germany: systematic review and meta-analysis of results from national and international trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Contrary to international practice, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in Germany is predominantly offered as comprehensive inpatient treatment lasting for 3 weeks. Evidence for this kind of health care is poor, comprising observational cohort studies only.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic search for relevant German studies (1990-2004). International studies were selected from recent meta-analyses. Medium-term (12 month) results for blood lipids, blood pressure, functional capacity and psychological wellbeing, as well as cardiac morbidity and mortality are reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For most outcomes, effect sizes in national studies are poorer than those from international interventions or, in the case of blood pressure and depression, even poorer than international controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Altogether, our analysis does not suggest that comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation treatment is superior to international practice of long-term outpatient rehabilitation.
authors: Department of Quality Management and Social Medicine, University Medical Center of Freiburg, Germany. oskar.mittag@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors: Oskar
authors: O
authors: Mittag
authors: Susanne
authors: S
authors: Schramm
authors: Stephan
authors: S
authors: Böhmen
authors: Angelika
authors: A
authors: Hüppe
authors: Thorsten
authors: T
authors: Meyer
authors: Heiner
authors: H
authors: Raspe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016507:Cardiology Service, Hospital; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006302:Health Services Research; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids