QUALIREHAB Cited as Key Evidence in New 2026 ESC Cardiac Rehabilitation Guidelines

A Major Milestone for Cardiac Rehabilitation in Congenital Heart Disease

The new 2026 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines on Cardiac Rehabilitation mark a significant step forward for patients living with congenital heart disease (CHD).

The Guidelines now recommend cardiac rehabilitation for adults and transitional-age patients with congenital heart disease who have reduced cardiorespiratory fitness, or who have undergone cardiac surgery, in order to improve both physical functioning (VO₂peak) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This recommendation carries a Class I, Level of Evidence B1 rating, the strongest level of recommendation issued by the ESC.

The QUALIREHAB randomized controlled trial, published in the European Heart Journal in 2024, is among the evidence supporting this recommendation. Notably, QUALIREHAB is the only individual randomized controlled trial referenced directly alongside systematic reviews and meta-analyses in support of this recommendation — a reflection of the growing strength of randomized evidence in congenital heart disease research.

This milestone belongs first and foremost to the patients and families who took part in the QUALIREHAB trial, and to the investigators and rehabilitation teams across France who made the study possible.

The QUALIREHAB consortium thanks the European Society of Cardiology and the Guideline Task Force for recognizing the growing body of evidence supporting cardiac rehabilitation in congenital heart disease.

Read more: QUALIREHAB randomized controlled trial — European Heart Journal