Hambrecht 2000

Methods	Parallel group RCT
Participants	N Randomised: 73 (exercise 36; control 37) Diagnosis (% of participants): Aetiology: IHD 16%; DCM 84% NYHA: Class I and II 74%; Class III 26% LVEF: 29% (SD 9) Case mix: 100% as above Age (yr): exercise 54 (SD 9); control 54 (SD 8) Male: 100% White: not reported Inclusion/exclusion criteria Inclusion: documented HF by signs, symptoms and angiographic evidence of reduced left ventricular function (LVEF < 40%) as a result of DCM or IHD; physical work capacity at baseline > 25 watts, clinical stability >=3 months before study start Exclusion: significant valvular heart disease, uncontrolled hypertension, DM, hypercholesterolaemia, PVD, pulmonary disease, musculoskeletal abnormalities precluding exercise training
Interventions	Exercise:Total duration: 6‐months Aerobic/resistance/mix: aerobic Frequency: 6 or 7 sessions/wk Duration: 10‐20/session Intensity: 70% of peak VO2 Modality: cycle ergometer Setting: first 2 wk in hospital, remainder home based Other: plus group sessions 1 hr twice weekly, walking, ball games and callisthenics
Outcomes	Mortality
Comparison	Continued individually tailored cardiac medications, supervised by their physicians
Country and setting	Germany Single centre
Follow‐up	6 months (after randomisation)
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	"Patients were randomly assigned to either a training group or an inactive group sing a list of random numbers"
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Not reported
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not reported
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	All outcomes described in methods reported in results
Intention‐to‐treat analysis?	Low risk	Not reported
Incomplete outcome data?	Low risk	QUORUM diagram and details of losses to follow‐up reported
Groups balanced at baseline?	Low risk	"No significant differences were observed between the two groups with regard to demographic or clinical data, including age, weight, LVEF, LVEDD [Left Ventricular End Diastolic Diameter], NYHA or maximum oxygen uptake"
Groups received same intervention?	Unclear risk	The co‐interventions in the control group not reported