Photo Credit: Jacob Wackerhausen

Patients with HCM are often advised against competitive sports due to the risk for sudden cardiac death, leading to inactivity and its associated health consequences. In a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the researchers aimed to compare the characteristics of patients with HCM who engage in regular aerobic exercise versus those who are sedentary and to evaluate the effects of a personalized, moderate-intensity exercise program. Clinical assessments, ECG, echocardiography, and cardiopulmonary testing were conducted before and after the intervention. Active patients exhibited better cardiopulmonary functional capacity (peak oxygen consumption: 32.9±7.4 vs 25.2±7.4 mL/min per kg; P≤0.0001) and similar rates of ventricular arrhythmias (P=0.43) compared with sedentary patients. Sedentary participants had a slightly higher prevalence of obesity (P=0.07). The prescribed exercise regimen improved fitness without significant AEs. The researchers concluded that tailored, moderate-intensity exercise is a safe and beneficial strategy to enhance fitness in carefully selected patients and can mitigate the AEs of a sedentary lifestyle.