2023 update: The importance of cardiorespiratory fitness in the United States.

The American Heart Association issued a Policy Statement in 2013 that characterized the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) as an essential marker of health outcomes and specifically the need for increased assessment of CRF. This statement summarized the evidence demonstrating that CRF is "one of the most important correlates of overall health status and a potent predictor of an individual's future risk of cardiovascular disease." Subsequently, this Policy Statement led to the development of a National Registry for CRF (Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise: A National Data Base [FRIEND]) which established normative reference values for CRF for adults in the United States (US). This review provides an overview of the progress made in the past decade to further our understanding of the importance of CRF, specifically related to prevention and for clinical populations. Additionally, this review overviews the evolvement and additional uses of FRIEND and summarizes a hierarchy of assessment methods for CRF. In summary, continued efforts are needed to expand the representation of data from across the US, and to include data from pediatric populations, to further develop the CRF Reference Standards for the US as well as further develop Global CRF Reference Standards.

Temporal Trends in Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation and Its Core Components: A Nationwide Cohort Study From the Netherlands.

PURPOSE: Patient- and disease-specific data on cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participation and changes over time are limited. The objective of this study was to describe time trends in CR participation between 2013 and 2019 and provides insights into the utilization of CR components. METHODS: Patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) with an indication for CR were enrolled between 2013 and 2019. Dutch health insurance claims data were used to identify CR participation and its components. RESULTS: In total, 106 212 patients with CVD were included of which 37% participated in CR. Participation significantly increased from 28% in 2013 to 41% in 2016 but remained unchanged thereafter. Participation was highest in the youngest age groups (<50 yrs 52%; 50-65 yrs 50%), men (48%), patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (73%), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (59%), and coronary artery bypass grafting (82%). In contrast, it was the lowest in the oldest age group (≥85 yrs 8%), women (30%), and in patients with heart failure (11%). Most participants in CR received referral plus an admission session (97%) and exercise training (82%), whereas complementary services related to dietary (14%) and mental health counseling (10%) had a low utilization. CONCLUSIONS: CR participation rates increased to 41% in 2016 but remained unchanged thereafter. Participation modulators included age, sex, CVD diagnosis, and undergoing a cardiothoracic procedure. Education and exercise sessions were frequently adopted, but dietary and mental health counseling had a low utilization rate. These findings suggest the need for reinvigorated referral and novel enrollment strategies in specific CVD subgroups to further promote CR participation and its associated underutilized adjunctive services.

Resistance Exercise Training in Individuals With and Without Cardiovascular Disease: 2023 Update: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Resistance training not only can improve or maintain muscle mass and strength, but also has favorable physiological and clinical effects on cardiovascular disease and risk factors. This scientific statement is an update of the previous (2007) American Heart Association scientific statement regarding resistance training and cardiovascular disease. Since 2007, accumulating evidence suggests resistance training is a safe and effective approach for improving cardiovascular health in adults with and without cardiovascular disease. This scientific statement summarizes the benefits of resistance training alone or in combination with aerobic training for improving traditional and nontraditional cardiovascular disease risk factors. We also address the utility of resistance training for promoting cardiovascular health in varied healthy and clinical populations. Because less than one-third of US adults report participating in the recommended 2 days per week of resistance training activities, this scientific statement provides practical strategies for the promotion and prescription of resistance training.

Cardiorespiratory fitness and risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

AIMS: Preventive strategies for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) include pharmacotherapies and lifestyle modifications. However, the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) assessed objectively by a standardized exercise treadmill test (ETT) and the risk of HFpEF has not been evaluated. Thus, we evaluated the association between CRF and HFpEF incidence. METHODS AND RESULTS: We assessed CRF in US Veterans (624 551 men; mean age 61.2 ± 9.7 years and 43 179 women; mean age 55.0 ± 8.9 years) by a standardized ETT performed between 1999 and 2020 across US Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. All had no evidence of heart failure or myocardial infarction prior to completion of the ETT. We assigned participants to one of five age- and gender-specific CRF categories (quintiles) based on peak metabolic equivalents (METs) achieved during the ETT and four categories based on CRF changes in those with two ETT evaluations (n = 139 434) ≥1.0 year apart. During a median follow-up of 10.1 years (interquartile range 6.0-14.3 years), providing 6 879 229 person-years, there were 16 493 HFpEF events with an average annual rate of 2.4 events per 1000 person-years. The adjusted risk of HFpEF decreased across CRF categories as CRF increased, independent of comorbidities. For fit individuals (≥10.5 METs) the hazard ratio (HR) was 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.46-0.51) compared with least fit (≤4.9 METs; referent). Being unfit carried the highest risk (HR 2.88, 95% CI 2.67-3.11) of any other comorbidity. The risk of unfit individuals who became fit was 37% lower (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.57-0.71), compared to those who remained unfit. CONCLUSIONS: Higher CRF levels are independently associated with lower HFpEF in a dose-response manner. Changes in CRF reflected proportional changes in HFpEF risk, suggesting that the HFpEF risk was modulated by CRF.

Supervised Exercise Training for Chronic Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is one of the most common forms of heart failure; its prevalence is increasing, and outcomes are worsening. Affected patients often experience severe exertional dyspnea and debilitating fatigue, as well as poor quality of life, frequent hospitalizations, and a high mortality rate. Until recently, most pharmacological intervention trials for HFpEF yielded neutral primary outcomes. In contrast, trials of exercise-based interventions have consistently demonstrated large, significant, clinically meaningful improvements in symptoms, objectively determined exercise capacity, and usually quality of life. This success may be attributed, at least in part, to the pleiotropic effects of exercise, which may favorably affect the full range of abnormalities-peripheral vascular, skeletal muscle, and cardiovascular-that contribute to exercise intolerance in HFpEF. Accordingly, this scientific statement critically examines the currently available literature on the effects of exercise-based therapies for chronic stable HFpEF, potential mechanisms for improvement of exercise capacity and symptoms, and how these data compare with exercise therapy for other cardiovascular conditions. Specifically, data reviewed herein demonstrate a comparable or larger magnitude of improvement in exercise capacity from supervised exercise training in patients with chronic HFpEF compared with those with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, although Medicare reimbursement is available only for the latter group. Finally, critical gaps in implementation of exercise-based therapies for patients with HFpEF, including exercise setting, training modalities, combinations with other strategies such as diet and medications, long-term adherence, incorporation of innovative and more accessible delivery methods, and management of recently hospitalized patients are highlighted to provide guidance for future research.

Supervised Exercise Training for Chronic Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is one of the most common forms of heart failure; its prevalence is increasing, and outcomes are worsening. Affected patients often experience severe exertional dyspnea and debilitating fatigue, as well as poor quality of life, frequent hospitalizations, and a high mortality rate. Until recently, most pharmacological intervention trials for HFpEF yielded neutral primary outcomes. In contrast, trials of exercise-based interventions have consistently demonstrated large, significant, clinically meaningful improvements in symptoms, objectively determined exercise capacity, and usually quality of life. This success may be attributed, at least in part, to the pleiotropic effects of exercise, which may favorably affect the full range of abnormalities-peripheral vascular, skeletal muscle, and cardiovascular-that contribute to exercise intolerance in HFpEF. Accordingly, this scientific statement critically examines the currently available literature on the effects of exercise-based therapies for chronic stable HFpEF, potential mechanisms for improvement of exercise capacity and symptoms, and how these data compare with exercise therapy for other cardiovascular conditions. Specifically, data reviewed herein demonstrate a comparable or larger magnitude of improvement in exercise capacity from supervised exercise training in patients with chronic HFpEF compared with those with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, although Medicare reimbursement is available only for the latter group. Finally, critical gaps in implementation of exercise-based therapies for patients with HFpEF, including exercise setting, training modalities, combinations with other strategies such as diet and medications, long-term adherence, incorporation of innovative and more accessible delivery methods, and management of recently hospitalized patients are highlighted to provide guidance for future research.

Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness as Modulators of Health Outcomes: A Compelling Research-Based Case Presented to the Medical Community.

The beneficial health effects and prognostic significance of regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA), increased cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), or both are often underappreciated by the medical community and the patients they serve. Individuals with low CRF have higher annual health care costs, higher rates of surgical complications, and are two to three times more likely to die prematurely than their fitter counterparts when matched for risk factor profile or coronary calcium score. Increased levels of habitual PA before hospitalization for acute coronary syndromes are also associated with better short-term cardiovascular outcomes. Accordingly, this review examines these relations and the potential underlying mechanisms of benefit (eg, exercise preconditioning), with specific reference to the incidence of cardiovascular, cancer, and coronavirus diseases, and the prescriptive implications and exercise thresholds for optimizing health outcomes. To assess the evidence supporting or refuting the benefits of PA and CRF, we performed a literature search (PubMed) and critically reviewed the evidence to date. In aggregate, these data are presented in the context of clarifying the impact that regular PA and/or increased CRF have on preventing and treating chronic and infectious diseases, with reference to evidence-based exercise thresholds that the medical community can embrace and promote.

A New Era in Cardiac Rehabilitation Delivery: Research Gaps, Questions, Strategies, and Priorities.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a guideline-recommended, multidisciplinary program of exercise training, risk factor management, and psychosocial counseling for people with cardiovascular disease (CVD) that is beneficial but underused and with substantial disparities in referral, access, and participation. The emergence of new virtual and remote delivery models has the potential to improve access to and participation in CR and ultimately improve outcomes for people with CVD. Although data suggest that new delivery models for CR have safety and efficacy similar to traditional in-person CR, questions remain regarding which participants are most likely to benefit from these models, how and where such programs should be delivered, and their effect on outcomes in diverse populations. In this review, we describe important gaps in evidence, identify relevant research questions, and propose strategies for addressing them. We highlight 4 research priorities: (1) including diverse populations in all CR research; (2) leveraging implementation methodologies to enhance equitable delivery of CR; (3) clarifying which populations are most likely to benefit from virtual and remote CR; and (4) comparing traditional in-person CR with virtual and remote CR in diverse populations using multicenter studies of important clinical, psychosocial, and cost-effectiveness outcomes that are relevant to patients, caregivers, providers, health systems, and payors. By framing these important questions, we hope to advance toward a goal of delivering high-quality CR to as many people as possible to improve outcomes in those with CVD.

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic: With hindsight what lessons can we learn?

The purpose of this paper is to put forward some evidence-based lessons that can be learned from how to respond to a Pandemic that relate to healthy living behaviours (HLB). A 4-step methodology was followed to conduct a narrative review of the literature and to present a professional practice vignette. The narrative review identified 8 lessons: 1) peer review; 2) historical perspectives; 3) investing in resilience and protection; 4) unintended consequences; 5) protecting physical activity; 6) school closures; 7) mental health; and 8) obesity. As in all probability there will be another Pandemic, it is important that the lessons learned over the last three years in relation to HLB are acted upon. Whilst there will not always be a consensus on what to emphasise, it is important that many evidence-based positions are presented. The authors of this paper recognise that this work is a starting point and that the lessons presented here will need to be revisited as new evidence becomes available.

Improved Walk Test Performance and Blood Pressure Responses in Men and Women Completing Cardiac Rehabilitation: Implications Regarding Exercise Trainability.

Purpose. To evaluate changes in walk test performance and blood pressure (BP) responses following a 12-week exercise-based outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program. Methods. Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and resting systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), post-6MWT heart rate (HR), and post-6MWT BPs were measured before and after CR in 311 (237 men,74 women) patients. Using age as a covariate, 2 by 2 (Gender × Measurement) ANCOVAs were used to determine differences in 6MWT performance and hemodynamic variables. Results. After adjusting for age, men covered a greater 6MWT distance than women; pre-CR versus post-CR program values are as follows: men, 429.3 ± 94.6 versus 557.6 ± 90.7 m, P ≤ .001; women, 374.9 ± 100.7 versus 483.2 ± 82.9 m, P ≤ .001. Both genders reduced resting DBP following the CR program (men: 67.2 ± 9.8 vs 65.6 ± 8.5 mm Hg, P = .034; women: 69.2 ± 10.7 vs 65.0 ± 8.0 mm Hg, P = .001) and increased HR following the 6MWT after the CR program (men: 97.7 ± 16.8 vs 112.7 ± 21.3 bpm, P ≤ .001; women: 100.7 ± 20.8 vs 110.2 ± 22.0 bpm, P ≤ .001). Similarly, SBP increased immediately following the 6MWT (122.8 ± 18.5 vs 133.6 ± 20.7 mm Hg; P ≤ .001) in men but not in women. Conclusion. The present findings indicate similar relative improvements in 6MWT performance and BP responses in adherent men and women following an exercise-based CR program.

Personal Activity Intelligence and Ischemic Heart Disease in a Healthy Population: China Kadoorie Biobank Study.

BACKGROUND: Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) is a physical activity metric that translates heart rate during physical activity into a simple score, where a weekly score of 100 or greater is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Here, we prospectively investigated the association between PAI and ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality in a large healthy population from China. METHODS: Using data from the China Kadoorie Biobank, we studied 443,792 healthy adults (60% women). The weekly PAI score of each participant was estimated based on the questionnaire data and divided into four groups (PAI scores of 0, ≤50, 51-99, or ≥100). Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for fatal IHD and nonfatal myocardial infraction (MI) related to PAI were estimated using Cox proportional hazard regression analyses. RESULTS: There were 3050 IHD deaths and 1808 MI events during a median follow-up of 8.2 years (interquartile range, 7.3-9.1; 3.6 million person-years). After adjustments for multiple confounders, a weekly PAI score ≥ 100 was associated with a lower risk of IHD (aHR: 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83-1.00)), compared with the inactive group (0 PAI). The corresponding aHR for MI was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.83-1.05). In participants aged 60 years or older at baseline, the aHR associated with a weekly PAI score ≥ 100 was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.75-0.93) for IHD and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.73-0.98) for MI. CONCLUSION: Among healthy Chinese adults, a weekly PAI score of 100 or greater was associated with a lower risk of IHD mortality across all age groups; moreover, a high PAI score significantly lowered the risk of MI but only in those 60 years and older at baseline. The present findings extend the scientific evidence that PAI may have prognostic significance in diverse settings for IHD outcomes and suggest that the PAI metric may be useful in delineating the magnitude of weekly physical activity needed to reduce the risk of IHD mortality.

Identifying the Optimal Exercise Prescription for Patients with Coronary Artery Disease Undergoing Cardiac Rehabilitation: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Control Trials.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (EBCR) has been shown to improve clinical outcomes in these patients, and yet clinicians are often challenged to prescribe the most effective type of exercise training. Therefore, this systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) aims to formally quantify the optimal dose of exercise training interventions to improve exercise capacity and quality of life by undertaking direct and indirect pooled comparisons of randomized controlled trials. A detailed search will be conducted on PubMed/MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), EMBASE and Web of Science. Two reviewers will screen the existing literature and assess the quality of the studies. Disagreements will be resolved through consensus. We anticipate that the analysis will include pairwise and Bayesian network meta-analyses. Most of the trials have studied the impact of exercise training comparing one or two modalities. As a result, little evidence exists to support which interventions will be most effective. The current NMA will address this gap in the literature and assist clinicians and cardiac rehabilitation specialists in making an informed decision. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals. Ethical approval is not applicable, as no research participants will be involved. PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42022262644.

Physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiovascular health: A clinical practice statement of the ASPC Part I: Bioenergetics, contemporary physical activity recommendations, benefits, risks, extreme exercise regimens, potential maladaptations.

Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) and increased levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) or aerobic capacity are widely promoted as cardioprotective measures in the primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD). Nevertheless, physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors remain a worldwide concern. The continuing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been especially devastating to patients with known or occult CVD since sitting time and recreational PA have been reported to increase and decrease by 28% and 33%, respectively. Herein, in this first of a 2-part series, we discuss foundational factors in exercise programming, with specific reference to energy metabolism, contemporary PA recommendations, the dose-response relationship of exercise as medicine, the benefits of regular exercise training, including the exercise preconditioning cardioprotective phenotype, as well as the CV risks of PA. Finally, we discuss the 'extreme exercise hypothesis,' specifically the potential maladaptations resulting from high-volume, high-intensity training programs, including accelerated coronary artery calcification and incident atrial fibrillation. The latter is commonly depicted by a reverse J-shaped or U-shaped curve. On the other hand, longevity data argue against this relationship, as elite endurance athletes live 3-6 years longer than the general population.

Physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiovascular health: A clinical practice statement of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology Part II: Physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, minimum and goal intensities for exercise training, prescriptive methods, and special patient populations.

The prescription of exercise for individuals with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD) should be scientifically-based yet adapted to the patient. This scientific statement reviews the clinical and physiologic basis for the prescription of exercise, with specific reference to the volume of physical activity (PA) and level of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) that confer significant and optimal cardioprotective benefits. Recommendations are provided regarding the appropriate intensity, frequency, and duration of training; the concept of MET-minutes per week; critical components of the exercise session (warm-up, conditioning phase, cool-down); methodologies for establishing the training intensity, including oxygen uptake reserve (V̇O2R), target heart rate derivation and rating perceived exertion; minimum and goal intensities for exercise training; and, types of training activities, including resistance training, adjunctive lifestyle PA, marathon/triathlon training, and high-intensity interval training. In addition, we discuss the rationale for and value of exercise training programs for patients with peripheral artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and heart failure.

Temporal changes in personal activity intelligence and the risk of incident dementia and dementia related mortality: A prospective cohort study (HUNT).

Background: The Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) translates heart rate during daily activity into a weekly score. Obtaining a weekly PAI score ≥100 is associated with reduced risk of premature morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. Here, we determined whether changes in PAI score are associated with changes in risk of incident dementia and dementia-related mortality. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 29,826 healthy individuals. Using data from the Trøndelag Health-Study (HUNT), PAI was estimated 10 years apart (HUNT1 1984-86 and HUNT2 1995-97). Adjusted hazard-ratios (aHR) and 95%-confidence intervals (CI) for incidence of and death from dementia were related to changes in PAI using Cox regression analyses. Findings: During a median follow-up time of 24.5 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 24.1-25.0) for dementia incidence and 23.6 years (IQR: 20.8-24.2) for dementia-related mortality, there were 1998 incident cases and 1033 dementia-related deaths. Individuals who increased their PAI score over time or maintained a high PAI score at both assessments had reduced risk of dementia incidence and dementia-related mortality. Compared with persistently inactive individuals (0 weekly PAI) at both time points, the aHRs for those with a PAI score ≥100 at both occasions were 0.75 (95% CI: 0.58-0.97) for incident dementia, and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.43-0.91) for dementia-related mortality. Using PAI score <100 at both assessments as the reference cohort, those who increased from <100 at HUNT1 to ≥100 at HUNT2 had aHR of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.72-0.96) for incident dementia, and gained 2.8 (95% CI: 1.3-4.2, P<0.0001) dementia-free years. For dementia-related mortality, the corresponding aHR was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.59-0.92) and years of life gained were 2.4 (95% CI: 1.0-3.8, P=0.001). Interpretation: Maintaining a high weekly PAI score and increases in PAI scores over time were associated with a reduced risk of incident dementia and dementia-related mortality. Our findings extend the scientific evidence regarding the protective role of PA for dementia prevention, and suggest that PAI may be a valuable tool in guiding research-based PA recommendations. Funding: The Norwegian Research Council, the Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.

Impact of Social Disparities on Cardiovascular Disease and COVID-19 Outcomes: BARRIERS TO CARE AND PREVENTIVE INTERVENTIONS.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed significant disparities within certain population subsets that manifest through greater disease burden and worse outcomes. In this commentary, we propose specific preventive interventions to address these disparities within the United States.