Recent RCTs in Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy (2024-2025)

🫁 Pulmonary Rehabilitation

• Compares home-friendly minimal equipment vs standard specialized equipment in PR programs. High-impact journal - excellent for presentation.
• PMID: 40794408 | DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.26616

• RCT evaluating conical positive expiratory pressure mask use during exercise training - novel intervention with clinical applicability.
• PMID: 41209395 | DOI: 10.1155/pm/8828987

• Multicenter RCT addressing the often-overlooked fall risk in COPD patients undergoing PR. Practical and multidimensional.
• PMID: 39182033 | DOI: 10.1186/s12890-024-03215-2

• Targets frail elderly - a growing clinical population. RCT with single-blind design.
• PMID: 40900147 | DOI: 10.1097/jnr.0000000000000698

• Addresses comorbid OSA in COPD - a real-world clinical challenge.
• PMID: 39318173 | DOI: 10.2340/jrm.v56.23757

• Perioperative pulmonary physio in lung cancer surgery patients.
• PMID: 37883752

🫀 Cardiac Rehabilitation

• RCT in a cutting-edge cardiac procedure population - very relevant for modern cardiology practice.
• PMID: 39602372 | DOI: 10.1097/HCR.0000000000000912

• Non-inferiority RCT comparing telerehabilitation hybrid model to in-person cardiac rehab. Highly topical post-pandemic.
• PMID: 39841814 | DOI: 10.1097/MRR.0000000000000658

• Innovative adjunct intervention in AF patients - novel enough to spark discussion.
• PMID: 40830958 | DOI: 10.1186/s13019-025-03582-9

• Explores a biochemical mechanism of benefit - good for a physiologically focused presentation.
• PMID: 39796273 | DOI: 10.3390/ijms26010419

🦠 Post-COVID Cardiorespiratory Rehabilitation

• Dedicated Long COVID rehab RCT measuring cardiorespiratory fitness and symptom burden directly.
• PMID: 38917451 | DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002559

• Well-rounded outcome measurement including body composition - practical and clinically rich.
• PMID: 38572991 | DOI: 10.1002/pri.2086

• Home delivery model - relevant for resource-limited settings.
• PMID: 38528512 | DOI: 10.1186/s12984-024-01340-x

• RCT on direct chest physio techniques in acute severe COVID - strong clinical utility.
• PMID: 41222519 | DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2025.10.013

💡 Tips for Your Journal Presentation

Important note: PubMed does not filter by exact month of publication directly through this search interface. The results above span 2025-2026. I've verified the specific details of key articles. Below is a curated, presentation-ready list with only the most relevant and recently published RCTs - I've flagged the ones most likely from mid-2025/2026 based on PMID range (higher PMID = more recent indexing).

Recent RCTs in Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy - For Journal Presentation

Note on "June" filter: PubMed does not allow filtering by exact calendar month via standard search. The articles below represent the most recently indexed RCTs (mid-2025 to 2026) across all three domains. PMIDs in the 40,000,000-41,500,000+ range indicate indexing in 2025-2026.

🫁 A. Pulmonary Rehabilitation

• Journal: JAMA Network Open (2025) | PMID: 40794408
• Key finding: PR using minimal equipment (walking circuit, body weight exercises) was non-inferior to gym-based PR for exercise capacity, dyspnea, and quality of life in 436 patients with chronic respiratory disease.
• Why present: Published in high-impact JAMA Network Open; directly challenges the need for expensive specialist equipment - major access/service delivery implication.
• DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.26616

• Journal: Thorax (2025) | PMID: 39706685
• Key finding: Multicenter RCT testing whether a smartphone app can deliver PR in COPD patients - addresses the global gap in PR access.
• Why present: Cutting-edge digital health approach; multicenter design; published in Thorax (respiratory specialty journal).
• DOI: 10.1136/thorax-2024-221803

• Journal: Thorax (2025) | PMID: 39689939
• Key finding: Short-term home-based PR during outpatient-managed COPD exacerbations - a window when PR is rarely offered.
• Why present: Novel timing of intervention; fills a real practice gap; published in Thorax.
• DOI: 10.1136/thorax-2024-221760

• Journal: Scientific Reports (2025) | PMID: 39934204
• Key finding: Compares breathing exercises vs combined breathing+stretching on respiratory indices, disease severity and exercise capacity. Comparative RCT design.
• Why present: Simple, replicable intervention; good discussion of clinical utility.
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-89664-z

• Journal: Journal of Nursing Research (2025) | PMID: 40900147
• Key finding: RCT targeting elderly frail COPD patients - addresses an underserved population in PR programs.
• Why present: Growing clinical relevance (aging + frailty); single-blind design with clinical outcomes.
• DOI: 10.1097/jnr.0000000000000698

🫀 B. Cardiac Rehabilitation

• Journal: JAMA Network Open (2025) | PMID: 40736732
• Key finding: Early progressive personalized CR in CICU patients with severe ADHF did not significantly improve SPPB scores or rehospitalization, but improved ICU mobility (PERME score, p=0.04).
• Why present: JAMA Network Open RCT; addresses a high-stakes critically ill population; nuanced results good for discussion.
• DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.24141

• Journal: Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery (2025) | PMID: 40830958
• Key finding: Music+movement CR significantly improved LVEF (48.5% vs 42.6%), reduced AF duration, complications, anxiety, and quality of life vs conventional CR in 144 AF patients.
• Why present: Novel adjunct intervention; comprehensive outcome measurement; good for multidisciplinary discussion.
• DOI: 10.1186/s13019-025-03582-9

• Journal: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2025) | PMID: 39501477
• Key finding: Tele-based exercise CR for HF patients who declined in-person rehab - addresses a common real-world barrier.
• Why present: Tackles patient non-attendance; telerehabilitation is a hot post-pandemic topic.
• DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003590

• Journal: JACC Heart Failure (2025) | PMID: 39895436
• Key finding: Non-inferiority/equivalence RCT comparing home-based vs center-based CR in HF.
• Why present: Published in JACC Heart Failure (high impact); directly informs service delivery decisions.
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2024.09.024

🏥 C. Critical Care / ICU Respiratory Physiotherapy

• Journal: Nursing in Critical Care (2026) | PMID: 41536156
• Key finding: Percussion vibration (PV) and expiratory rib cage compression (ERCC) before endotracheal aspiration improved SpO₂ and hemodynamic indices in ICU ventilated patients. Three-arm RCT.
• Why present: Published 2026; directly applicable to ICU physiotherapy practice; simple technique comparison.
• DOI: 10.1111/nicc.70232

• Journal: JAMA Network Open (2025) | PMID: 40920382
• Key finding: Adding in-bed cycling to usual physiotherapy for ventilated ICU patients showed no significant difference in costs or QALYs vs usual physiotherapy alone (CYCLE trial economic analysis).
• Why present: JAMA Network Open; economic perspective adds a layer rarely discussed in PT journals; based on multicenter RCT across Canada, US, Australia.
• DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.29399

• Journal: BMC Pulmonary Medicine (2025) | PMID: 41286729
• Key finding: Combined early mobilization, breathing exercises, and chest wall oscillation in ICU bilateral pneumonia patients.
• Why present: Comprehensive multimodal physio intervention; directly relevant to acute respiratory care.
• DOI: 10.1186/s12890-025-04028-7

Quick Reference Table

Article: Home-Based Supervised Cardiorespiratory Interval Training Decreases Poststroke Fatigue and Improves Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Randomized Controlled Trial

✅ Inclusion Criteria

❌ Exclusion Criteria

Additional Pre-Randomization Exclusions (from CONSORT flowchart)

• 1 participant - receiving other ongoing rehabilitation
• 2 participants - had returned to work and were unable to participate
• 2 participants - had medical contraindications for high-intensity exercise

Key Points for Presentation

• The S-FAS ≥28 cutoff was used to identify clinically significant poststroke fatigue (out of a max score of 50)
• The mRS >3 exclusion ensured participants had mild-to-moderate functional impairment only, enabling safe home cycling
• The MoCA <26 exclusion (cognitive threshold) ensured participants could safely follow exercise instructions
• The 1-7 month window targeted the subacute post-discharge phase, after early supported discharge (ESD) service

Cross-Referenced Articles

🌍 1. Global Stroke Burden & Epidemiology

😴 2. Poststroke Fatigue - Prevalence, Assessment & Mechanisms

🫁 3. Cardiorespiratory Fitness After Stroke

🏋️ 4. Exercise Interventions in Stroke - Key Evidence

🔬 5. Biological Mechanisms of Exercise on Fatigue

📋 6. Study Design, Tools & Methodology

🏠 7. Early Supported Discharge & Qualitative Findings

Summary for Presentation

Tip for your journal presentation: The most frequently cited and landmark references are Ref 4 (Stroke Recovery Roundtable roadmap, 2024), Ref 18 (Cochrane review on physical fitness training in stroke), and Ref 19 (meta-analysis on high-intensity exercise and VO₂ peak in stroke survivors) - these form the core evidence base for this study's rationale.

Outcome Measures

🎯 Primary Outcome Measure

Poststroke Fatigue - Swedish Fatigue Assessment Scale (S-FAS)

• Intervention group: 32.0 (SD 3.2) → 21.3 (SD 4.8)
• Control group: 30.7 (SD 2.6) → 27.1 (SD 4.1)
• Between-group mean difference: -5.35 points (95% CI -9.03 to -3.67; p<0.001) ✅ Significant

🫁 Secondary Outcome Measure

Cardiorespiratory Fitness - Peak Oxygen Uptake (VO₂ peak)

• Intervention group: 18.5 (SD 4.8) → 23.1 (SD 6.0) mL/kg/min
• Control group: 17.1 (SD 5.1) → 17.2 (SD 5.1) mL/kg/min
• Between-group mean difference: +4.48 mL/kg/min (95% CI 3.41-5.54; p<0.001) ✅ Significant

⚙️ Feasibility & Safety-Related Outcomes (Tertiary/Process Outcomes)

📊 Assessment Timeline Summary

📌 Key Points for Journal Presentation

1. Blinded endpoint design (PROBE) - postintervention S-FAS was submitted to a blinded research nurse, and VO₂ peak assessors were blinded - strengthening internal validity despite open-label intervention delivery.
2. No MCID available for S-FAS - the authors themselves caution that while the 5.35-point difference is statistically significant, clinical meaningfulness cannot yet be confirmed due to absence of a validated MCID.
3. Single fatigue measure limitation - the authors acknowledge the S-FAS predominantly captures fatigue characteristics but has limited coverage of fatigue severity and interference domains, per current consensus recommendations (English et al., 2024).
4. Both outcomes showed large, significant between-group differences - the VO₂ peak improvement (+4.48 mL/kg/min) is clinically meaningful: literature suggests each 4% increase in VO₂ peak per kg body weight corresponds to a 1-point reduction in fatigue scores.