Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.2
2.9
Journals
JCM
Special Issues
Advances in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation: The Central Role of Exercise in...
jcm-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for JCM Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Advances in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation: The Central Role of Exercise in Prevention and Care

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Cardiovascular Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 2160

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Massimo Pistono

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Cardiology Rehabilitation Unit of Gattico-Veruno Institute, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Gattico-Veruno, Italy
Interests: cardiac rehabilitation; heart failure; treatment of advanced heart failure; heart failure rehabilitation; post-implantation left ventricular assist device; post heart transplantation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases in all their manifestations and their impact on public health and consequently on the healthcare economy of many Western countries has led to a growing recognition of the importance of cardiac rehabilitation over the past decades. Physical exercise, regarded as a “polypill” in secondary prevention and as a cornerstone for a solid primary prevention strategy, has gained increasing evidence and relevance.

Moreover, exercise has demonstrated a prominent role in the prognosis of oncological diseases, thereby stimulating the interest of specialists in cardio-oncology and exercise physiology, whose fields are closely interconnected.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in cardiovascular rehabilitation, with particular emphasis on the role of physical exercise in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, researchers in the field of cardiovascular rehabilitation and exercise science are invited to submit their findings in the form of original articles or reviews to this Special Issue, with the goal of further strengthening the already solid evidence supporting exercise as a cornerstone in the management and prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Dr. Massimo Pistono
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cardiac rehabilitation
  • secondary prevention
  • physical exercise
  • cardiovascular health
  • aerobic exercise
  • cardio-oncology rehabilitation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

17 pages, 637 KB  
Article
Feasibility and Safety of an Outdoor-Simulated Interactive Indoor Cycling Device for Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Pilot Validation Study
by Jin Taek Lee, Bo Ryun Kim, Sung Bom Pyun, Young Mo Kim, Ho Sung Son, Jae Seung Jung and Hee Jung Kim
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(24), 8947; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14248947 - 18 Dec 2025
Viewed by 640
Abstract
Background/Objectives: To examine the safety and clinical applicability of a newly developed outdoor-simulated interactive indoor cycling device as a potential exercise modality for cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: Twenty patients with CVD with low-to-moderate cardiovascular exercise [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: To examine the safety and clinical applicability of a newly developed outdoor-simulated interactive indoor cycling device as a potential exercise modality for cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: Twenty patients with CVD with low-to-moderate cardiovascular exercise risk performed a symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise stress test (CPET) using a modified Bruce protocol to obtain peak cardiopulmonary responses. After a 30–60 min rest, they rode the outdoor-simulated interactive indoor cycling device for 10 min with continuous gas exchange and electrocardiography monitoring. The treadmill-based CPET results were compared with those from the cycling device, focusing on key cardiopulmonary variables, such as VO2, HR, METs, and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). Results: The 20 male participants had a mean age of 56.1 years. When treadmill peak values were used as reference, the cycling device elicited responses corresponding to moderate-to-vigorous intensity. In subgroup analysis, treadmill-derived peak VO2, peak HR, and peak MET values were significantly lower in patients aged ≥60 years compared with those aged <60 years. However, no significant differences were observed in cycling-derived values between the two groups, suggesting that cycling may represent a relatively higher-intensity exercise compared with treadmill in older patients. No significant adverse cardiac events were observed during cycling. Conclusions: The outdoor-simulated interactive indoor cycling device delivered exercise intensity within the therapeutic range recommended for CR in patients with CVD. Furthermore, it appeared to elicit relatively higher exercise intensity in older patients, supporting its potential as a safe and effective alternative exercise modality for CR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation: The Central Role of Exercise in Prevention and Care)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

11 pages, 554 KB  
Systematic Review
The Impact of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting on Respiratory Function: A Systematic Review
by Gonçalo Flores, Pedro Duarte-Mendes, Hélder Fonseca, Diogo Monteiro, Fernanda M. Silva, Nuno Couto, Ana Maria Silva and João Paulo Vilas-Boas
J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(7), 2793; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15072793 - 7 Apr 2026
Viewed by 453
Abstract
Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of mortality and morbidity in Portugal, with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) being one of the most performed surgeries in cardiothoracic centers. After cardiac surgery, patients often experience a decrease in physical capacity, which results [...] Read more.
Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of mortality and morbidity in Portugal, with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) being one of the most performed surgeries in cardiothoracic centers. After cardiac surgery, patients often experience a decrease in physical capacity, which results in an increased risk of mortality or hospitalization expenditures. The objective of this systematic review was to characterize changes in respiratory function in patients undergoing CABG. Methods: This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. Web of Science, Pubmed, SCOPUS, and Sport Discus were searched using a predefined research strategy to identify relevant original studies published until August 2025. To be included, studies must have assessed adult patients submitted to CABG who evaluated the respiratory function before and after cardiac surgery. Studies that reported other types of cardiac surgery were excluded. The Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies-of-Exposure and the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials were used to analyze the risk of bias of the selected studies. Results: After screening 1184 potential articles, six studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies included participants who underwent CABG (n = 324), with a mean age ranging from 54.05 ± 13.6 to 67 ± 10 years. Conclusions: All included studies reported significant postoperative reductions in respiratory function following CABG, including forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, maximal inspiratory pressure, and maximal expiratory pressure. Although these findings consistently indicate a decline in pulmonary function, the limited number of available studies limits the strength of the conclusions. This systematic review suggests that monitoring respiratory impairments after CABG may be clinically relevant to improve health-related quality of life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation: The Central Role of Exercise in Prevention and Care)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 455 KB  
Study Protocol
Effectiveness of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing as an Incentive to Enhance Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation in Acute Coronary Syndrome Survivors: A Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial with Determinant Analysis
by Yuchun Lee, Chin-Yin Huang, Hungchin Ho and Yuan-Yang Cheng
J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(1), 319; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15010319 - 1 Jan 2026
Viewed by 724
Abstract
Background: Despite clear evidence supporting the benefits of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation for acute coronary syndrome survivors, participation rates remain low. Many patients face person-level and system-level barriers for outpatient rehabilitation, and their motivation often wanes soon after discharge. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing provides [...] Read more.
Background: Despite clear evidence supporting the benefits of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation for acute coronary syndrome survivors, participation rates remain low. Many patients face person-level and system-level barriers for outpatient rehabilitation, and their motivation often wanes soon after discharge. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing provides individualized physiological information and may act as an external cue that enhances engagement, yet no randomized trial has evaluated whether announcing a scheduled test can influence rehabilitation attendance. Methods: This single-center, parallel-group, single-blind randomized controlled trial investigates whether informing patients during hospitalization that a cardiopulmonary exercise test will be conducted at their first rehabilitation visit increases early outpatient attendance. Patients with acute coronary syndrome are randomized 1:1 to receive either standard discharge education or the same education plus an exercise testing announcement. All other clinical care follows routine practice. The primary endpoint is completion of the first rehabilitation clinic visit within 30 days. Secondary outcomes include attending at least six rehabilitation sessions within 12 weeks, actual exercise testing completion, and any safety events. The analyses will follow the intention-to-treat principle and will use logistic regression and time-to-event models. The planned sample size is 200 participants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation: The Central Role of Exercise in Prevention and Care)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop