The review pooled 13 randomised trials comparing telerehabilitation with exercise as the core component against usual care in 958 adults with cardiovascular disease, deliberately excluding trials where exercise was bundled with equal education, dietary or psychological components. Peak oxygen uptake improved by 2.58 mL/kg/min (95% CI 1.16 to 4.00), with heterogeneity of 74% and a prediction interval spanning zero. Blood pressure outcomes and five digital-health moderators were also examined.
Why it is interesting: It separates the exercise component from the lifestyle package usually bundled with it, while the prediction interval shows the average may not reproduce in a new setting.