A recent study published in the International Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease has found that increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior may help enhance exercise capacity in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). The findings suggest that such changes could have significant implications for improving long-term health outcomes in this patient group.
Congenital heart disease, affecting around 1% of newborns, has seen substantial improvements in management and surgical interventions over recent decades. As a result, more than 90% of infants born with CHD now survive into adulthood. However, these adult patients often experience poor exercise capacity, which is closely linked to an increased risk of adverse health outcomes.
The study, which analyzed 96 adult patients aged 18 to 74 with CHD, sought to explore the relationship between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and exercise capacity. Researchers measured peak oxygen uptake (a key indicator of exercise capacity) and tracked the time spent on sedentary activities, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
The results revealed a notable finding: replacing just 10 minutes of sedentary behavior with 10 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with an improvement of 0.454 mL/min/kg in peak oxygen uptake. This suggests that even small increases in physical activity could have a meaningful impact on exercise capacity in these patients.
Moreover, the study showed that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity contributed to improved peak oxygen uptake, regardless of the severity of the CHD. The researchers emphasize that such physical activity could not only enhance exercise capacity but also play a role in improving overall mobility and long-term prognosis for adult patients living with CHD.
This research highlights the importance of promoting physical activity among individuals with congenital heart disease, as even modest changes in activity levels could offer substantial health benefits.
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