title: Does cardiac rehabilitation after an acute cardiac syndrome lead to changes in physical activity habits? Systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Optimal physical activity levels have health benefits for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and are an important goal of cardiac rehabilitation (CR).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to systematically review literature regarding short-term effects (<6 months after completion of CR) and long-term effects (≥6 months after completion) of standard CR on physical activity levels in patients with ACS.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PEDro were systematically searched for relevant randomized clinical trials (RCTs) published from 1990 until 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized clinical trials investigating CR for patients with ACS reporting physical activity level were reviewed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two reviewers independently selected articles, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality. Results were summarized with a best evidence synthesis. Results were categorized as: (1) center-based/home-based CR versus no intervention, (2) comparison of different durations of CR, and (3) comparison of 2 types of CR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 26 RCTs were included. Compared with no intervention, there was, at most, conflicting evidence for center-based CR and moderate evidence for home-based CR for short-term effectiveness. Limited evidence and no evidence were found for long-term maintenance for center-based and home-based CR, respectively. When directly compared with center-based CR, moderate evidence showed that home-based CR has better long-term effects. There was no clear evidence that increasing training volume, extending duration of CR, or adding an extra intervention to CR is more effective.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of the variety of CR interventions in the included RCTs and the variety of outcome measures in the included RCTs, pooling of data was not possible. Therefore, a best evidence synthesis was used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It would appear that center-based CR is not sufficient to improve and maintain physical activity habits. Home-based programs might be more successful, but the literature on these programs is limited. More research on finding successful interventions to improve activity habits is needed.
authors.affiliation: N. ter Hoeve, MSc, Capri Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Erasmus University Medical Centre, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. n.terhoeve@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Nienke
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: ter Hoeve
authors.affiliation: B.M.A. Huisstede, PhD, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, and University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Rehabilitation, Nursing Science & Sports, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bionka M A
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Huisstede
authors.affiliation: H.J. Stam, MD, PhD, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.
authors.forename: Henk J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Stam
authors.affiliation: R.T. van Domburg, PhD, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Department of Cardiology.
authors.forename: Ron T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: van Domburg
authors.affiliation: M. Sunamura, MD, Capri Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Madoka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sunamura
authors.affiliation: H.J.G. van den Berg-Emons, PhD, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.
authors.forename: Rita J G
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van den Berg-Emons
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic