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. 2019 Mar 14;2019(3):CD010748. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010748.pub2

Maeder 1977.

Methods Study design: parallel RCT
Recruitment: participants hospitalised for AMI October 1971‐ December 1972
Allocation: not reported
Blinding: not reported
Randomisation: random numbers table
Follow‐up(s): 12 months, 4 years
Description: participants in the intervention group encouraged to move and walk more in the weeks post‐MI
Participants Baseline characteristics
Intervention group
  • Mean age (SD): 58 years

  • Sex (male %): 83.1

  • Number of participants randomised: 77

  • Working before CHD: 77


Control group
  • Mean age (SD): 58 years

  • Sex (male %): 84.4

  • Number of participants randomised: 77

  • Working before CHD: 77


Inclusion criteria
  • < 70 years

  • Hospitalised for AMI


Exclusion criteria
  • Deaths during the first 24 h

  • Severe heart failure

  • Cardiogenic shock

  • Severe arrhythmias

  • Severe and persistent chest pain

  • Severe psychological disorders

  • Other contraindications


Baseline imbalances: higher frequency of anamnestic angina in the early mobilisation group
Recruitment methods: all participants < 70 years hospitalised for AMI were included in the study.
Physically demanding work: blue‐collar
Severity of CHD: less severe
Interventions Intervention characteristics
Early mobilisation group
  • Gradual mobilisation under medical supervision started 24‐48 h after admission

  • Walking initiated in the beginning of the 2nd week (on average)

  • Duration of intervention: not reported

  • Providers: physiotherapist and supervised by a doctor


Control group
  • Usual care: including at least 3 weeks of strict bed rest, followed by progressive mobilisation

Outcomes Proportion at work (part‐/full‐time) at 6 months–12 months (medium term): 12 months
Proportion at work at > 12 months to < 5 years (long term): 4 years
Mean sick leave duration in months
Depression‐ transient and prolonged (clinical information from attending physician)
Adverse events (mortality, non‐fatal reinfarctions)
Identification Sponsorship source: not reported
Country: Switzerland
Setting: single centre: the Cantonal Hospital of Geneva; inpatient
Possible conflicts of interest: no information provided
Ethics committee approval: not reported
Notes  
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Participants were randomised using “random number tables in serial subgroups of six”
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk No allocation method was reported.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes High risk Due to the nature of the study, blinding of participants was not possible.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk None reported, and it is unclear how RTW was assessed.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk An ITT analysis was not conducted, and the study authors do not report if the attrition of study participants was evenly distributed across groups. Quantities of dropout cases (also in combination of the 2 studies) did not match with the combined numbers provided in the text.
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Unclear risk Unable to determine, no study protocol was available
Other bias Unclear risk None identified