Table 5.

Strength of evidence ratings for modification of various outcomes and cardiovascular disease risk-factors as a result of cardiac rehabilitation participation

	Strength of	Highlighted
Outcome	evidence*	references
Smoking cessation, relapse prevention	B	[39,79]
Improved lipid profile	A	[31,36]
Decreased blood pressure	B	[19]
Improved blood sugar control	B	[80]
Increased exercise capacity	A	[81,82]
Increased physical activity	B	[83]
Decreased body weight	B	[36]
Improved psychosocial well-being	A	[84,85]
Improved social functioning	B	[86]

^* A, Evidence provided by well-designed, controlled trials with statistically significant results consistent across trials; B, evidence provided by observational studies or controlled trials with less consistent results; C, opinion of expert consensus due to a lack of controlled trials and/or consistent results.