Design matters in secondary prevention: individualization and supervised exercise improves the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation.

Background: Hospital or centre-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) can lengthen and improve life. However, most existing trials do not examine the effects of design characteristics. To examine the effects of these characteristics, this study compared an individualized cardiac rehabilitation programme to a standardized programme and examined what factors contributed most to programme effects.

Participation in community-based exercise maintenance programs after completion of hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation: a mixed-method study.

Objective: To understand the characteristics associated with participation in community-based exercise maintenance programs in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) after completion of hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation in Scotland.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used (survey and focus groups) to explore determinants of participation in community-based exercise maintenance programs.

Results: Of 112 patients (67% male), 81 patients responded (73% response rate).