A Systematic Review of Exercise Training in Patients With Cardiac Implantable Devices

This systematic review identified exercise-based intervention studies in patients with cardiac implantable devices (CIDs): implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), cardiac resynchronization pacemaker or defibrillator (cardiac resynchronization therapy [CRT]), or ventricular assist device (VAD) and assessed evidence for the safety and efficacy of exercise-based interventions alone or in combination with psychoeducational components.

PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science, Cochrane, and PEDro databases were searched from database inception to September 2016. Data were extracted and validity was assessed by 2 reviewers. Study quality was evaluated using the JADAD scale for randomized controlled trials. A total of 3991 articles for all CIDs (ICD: 1015; pacemaker: 1630; and VAD: 1346) were screened for relevance. Subsequently, 24 full-text articles (ICD: 14; CRT: 4; and VAD: 6) were deemed eligible for this review.

Studies of aerobic exercise training demonstrated an average increase in peak oxygen uptake of 2.61 mL/kg/min, (ICD = 2.43, VAD = 2.2, and CRT = 3.2 mL/kg/min). These incremental increases were statistically significant when compared with the usual care or other comparison groups. Adverse event rates were very low at 1.1% to 2.2% for all CIDs.

Exercise interventions tested to date in the CID population (ICD, CRT, and VAD) indicate that exercise training at moderate to high intensity is safe and effective in improving cardiopulmonary outcomes without adverse events. Future investigations should include a more diverse sample of participants, designs that include translation of exercise to routine practice, the destination therapy VAD population, and measurement of costs and patient-centered outcomes.