Large MEDIAN Germany study shows benefits of cardiac rehabilitation in heart
A new multicentre study from the MEDIAN Germany network shows that cardiac rehabilitation in patients with heart failure can significantly improve physical performance, heart function, quality of life, and mental health.
The results, published in the journal Clinical Research in Cardiology, are based on data from the MEDIAN Heart Failure Registry—one of the largest studies on cardiac rehabilitation in patients with heart failure in Germany. In total, 808 patients from 17 MEDIAN clinics were followed over an 18-month period.
The results demonstrate significant improvements following an average inpatient rehabilitation period of approximately three weeks:
- Physical performance increased
- Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improved on average from 31% to 36%, while levels of the heart failure biomarker NT-proBNP decreased
- Quality of life and psychological well-being showed measurable gains
- At the same time, very low rates of complications, mortality, and rehospitalisation were observed during rehabilitation, underscoring the high safety of cardiac rehabilitation for patients with heart failure.
All observed improvements were statistically significant, highlighting the clinical relevance of the findings.
Another key finding is the marked underrepresentation of women: only 16.6% of participants were female. This raises important questions about potential structural or societal barriers limiting women’s access to cardiac rehabilitation programs.
Heart failure is one of the leading causes of hospital admissions in Germany. Nevertheless, fewer than 15% of affected patients are currently referred to cardiac rehabilitation—despite clear recommendations in national and international guidelines and strong supporting evidence.
“Our data clearly demonstrate that structured cardiac rehabilitation can make a meaningful contribution to the care of patients with heart failure,” says Prof. h.c. Dr. med. Stephan Eddicks, FESC, Chief Physician of Internal Medicine/Cardiology at the MEDIAN Rehabilitation Centre Bernkastel-Kues and co-author of the study. “However, referral and participation rates remain comparatively low, even though cardiac rehabilitation is strongly recommended in both national and international guidelines and has been shown to improve treatment outcomes.”
“This publication highlights the strong scientific expertise within our clinics and underscores the important role of rehabilitation in modern cardiac care,” says Dr. Marc Baenkler, CEO of MEDIAN Germany. “At the same time, the findings make clear that cardiac rehabilitation must play a more prominent role in patient care. Given the low participation rates and the underrepresentation of women, it is essential to improve access to rehabilitation services and raise awareness of their benefits.”
The study has been published in open-access format and is therefore freely available. Further information and the full article can be found here.