Physical Activity in Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Recipients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective To characterize the physical activity (PA) level in patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) during the COVID-19 pandemic and compare PA level during the pandemic in 2020 to the year 2019. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of PA activity in individuals implanted with a CIED enrolled in the BIOTRONIK CERTITUDE Registry.Mean daily and weekly PA from January to August 2020 was compared to 2019. Results A total of 21,660 individuals met eligibility criteria, with mean age of 72.6 ± 11.6 years, and 57.4% were males. A significant decline in daily PA was noted following the pandemic declaration in 2020, with a maximum mean reduction of -24.5 ± 36.3 minutes (p<0.0001) observed in April 2020 compared to 2019. PA in 2020 increased from April to May (120.6 ± 67.4 to 129.2 ± 70.9 minutes/day). PA was lower for all months in 2020 compared to 2019. The decrease in PA was seen in all pre-specified groups based on age, gender, type of device, and region of the country. Conclusion Following the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic a significant decline in daily PA was observed in individuals with a CIED. Future investigation to establish the impact of this reduction on short and long-term cardiovascular outcomes is required.

Quality of life of children and young adults with and without cardiovascular implantable electronic devices during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…One study from 2020 showed a decrease in PA and fitness in pediatric participants with pacemakers compared to healthy controls through use of a Holter monitor and physical assessment 23 . Two recent studies looking at PA based off CIED accelerometers have both shown a decrease in PA in both the pediatric and adult populations following the start of the pandemic 28,29 . The PAQ has been validated as an accurate measure of physical in the pediatric CIED population when assessed alongside triaxial accelerometer data, supporting the congruency of our results with these objective assessments 30 …”

“…23 Two recent studies looking at PA based off CIED accelerometers have both shown a decrease in PA in both the pediatric and adult populations following the start of the pandemic. 28,29 The PAQ has been validated…”

“Unlocking Physical Activity” During COVID-19 in Cardiac Device Patients

“… 6 Male and female patients across all ages exhibited significant declines in PA, with older patients (>80 yr) demonstrating diminished ability to return to pre-pandemic levels. 6 Cunha et al 7 examined changes in PA profiles among US CIED patients with congestive heart failure over three periods: baseline, lockdown, and post-lockdown. These authors divided patients into four distinct groups based on pre-lockdown levels of PA. All patients demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in time spent engaging in PA with an approximate overall decline of 39 min/d compared with pre-lockdown.…”

“…Multiple studies have reported changes in PA by daily minutes. In the largest cohort study (N = 21 660) to date conducted among CIED patients at Mayo Clinic, daily PA decreased by an average of 24 min compared with pre-pandemic levels, with more than half of the sample experiencing a reduction of >10 min in PA from March to August 2020 6. Male and female patients across all ages exhibited significant declines in PA, with older patients (>80 yr) demonstrating diminished ability to return to pre-pandemic levels 6.…”

Physical Activity of Prospective Physical Education Teachers During the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Physical activity (PA) may be a solution to alleviate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related limitation on daily affect (Do et al, 2021), although some studies recorded that PA level were low during the pandemic (Martínez- de-Quel et al, 2021;Solahuddin et al, 2021). The implementation of COVID-19 preemptive measures are likely to have resulted in a number of unintended consequences including the decreased PA (AlDukhail & Bahdila, 2022;Deshmukh et al, 2022). The preemptive measures occur globally and have an impact in the implementation of the education system.…”