https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2851-0753
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ABSTRACT
Introduction
Long-COVID-19 patients (LC19Ps) often experience cardiovascular and respiratory complications. Cardiorespiratory rehabilitation programs (CRRPs) have emerged as promising interventions to enhance exercise capacity in this population. This systematic review aimed to assess the impact of CRRPs on submaximal exercise performance, specifically the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) outcomes, in LC19Ps through an analysis of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Methods
A systematic search was conducted in PubMed/Medline and Scopus to identify relevant RCTs. Six RCTs meeting inclusion criteria were included in this review, investigating the effects of CRRPs on 6MWT outcomes in LC19Ps.
Results
The findings from the included RCTs provide compelling evidence supporting the effectiveness of CRRPs in improving submaximal exercise performance in LC19Ps. These results underscore the potential of CRRPs to enhance submaximal exercise capacity and overall functional well-being in this population. However, future research is imperative to determine optimal CRRPs, including duration, intensity, and specific intervention components. Additionally, the long-term sustainability and durability of CRRP-induced improvements warrant further exploration. Future studies should prioritize patient-centric outcomes and address potential implementation barriers.
Conclusion
CRRPs show promise in ameliorating submaximal exercise performance among LC19Ps. Further research is needed to refine these programs and ensure their lasting impact on this patient group.
Article highlights
Long-COVID-19 patients often experience cardiovascular and respiratory complications, and cardiorespiratory rehabilitation programs have emerged as promising interventions to enhance exercise capacity in this population.
This systematic review aimed to assess the impact of cardiorespiratory rehabilitation programs on submaximal exercise performance, specifically the 6-minute walk test outcomes, in long-COVID-19 patients through an analysis of available randomized controlled trials.
Six randomized controlled trials offer compelling evidence supporting the effectiveness of cardiorespiratory rehabilitation programs in enhancing submaximal exercise performance in long-COVID-19 patients.
Cardiorespiratory rehabilitation programs demonstrate the potential to enhance the overall functional well-being of long-COVID-19 patients, extending their benefits beyond mere exercise capacity improvement.
Future research should focus on optimizing cardiorespiratory rehabilitation programs, including determining the optimal duration, intensity, and specific intervention components for maximal efficacy.
This systematic review underscores the importance of investigating the long-term sustainability and durability of cardiorespiratory rehabilitation programs-induced improvements, addressing critical aspects for sustained patient benefits.
Abbreviations
| AHT: | = | Arterial hypertension |
| ATS: | = | American thoracic society |
| BS: | = | Borg scale |
| COVID-19: | = | Coronavirus disease 2019 |
| CRET: | = | Cardiorespiratory exercise testing |
| CRRPs: | = | Cardiorespiratory rehabilitation programs |
| DBP: | = | Diastolic blood pressure |
| ERS: | = | European respiratory society |
| FEV1: | = | Forced expiratory volume in one second |
| HR: | = | Heart rate |
| JBI: | = | Joanna Briggs Institute |
| LC19: | = | Long-COVID-19 |
| LC19P: | = | Long-COVID-19 patient |
| MCID: | = | Minimal clinically important difference |
| MD: | = | Minimal difference |
| mMRC: | = | Modified medical research council |
| RCT: | = | Randomized controlled trial |
| RT-PCR: | = | Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction |
| SBP: | = | Systolic blood pressure |
| SGRQ: | = | Saint George’s respiratory questionnaire |
| SMD: | = | Standardized mean difference |
| SpO2: | = | Oxy-hemoglobin saturation |
| SR: | = | Systematic review |
| TUG: | = | Timed up and go |
| 6MWD: | = | 6-minute walk distance |
| 6MWT: | = | 6-minute walk test |
| 6MWW: | = | 6-minute walk work |
Declaration of interest
Helmi Ben Saad has received personal fees from AstraZeneca, Opalia Recordati, and Abdi Ibrahim. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
Reviewer disclosures
Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.
Acknowledgments
In order to correct and improve the academic writing of our paper, we have used the language model ChatGPT 3.5 [Citation164,Citation165].