Wearable Activity Trackers Objectively Measure Incidental Physical Activity in Older Adults Undergoing Aortic Valve...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Older adults with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) require objective measures of physical function recovery in real-world settings.
• Current assessment methods for physical function in AS patients post-AVR are limited in real-world applicability.
• This study investigated the use of wearable trackers to assess physical activity (PA) in AS patients before and after AVR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the acceptability and feasibility of using wearable activity trackers to measure incidental physical activity (PA) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS).
• To objectively assess changes in physical function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) before and after aortic valve replacement (AVR) in older adults with AS.

Main Methods:

• Fifteen older adults with severe AS participated, wearing an activity tracker at baseline and ten at one-month follow-up.
• Incidental physical activity (PA) was measured using wearable trackers, alongside functional capacity assessed by the six-minute walk test (6MWT).
• Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was evaluated using the SF-12 questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Participants demonstrated high adherence to wearing activity trackers (over 85% of prescribed time), with improved adherence at follow-up.
• Baseline incidental PA (median 3437 steps/day) and functional capacity (6MWT median 272m) varied widely among AS patients.
• Post-AVR, participants with lower baseline PA, functional capacity, and HRQoL showed the most significant improvements, though improvements were not consistently correlated across measures.

Conclusions:

• Wearable activity trackers are acceptable and feasible for monitoring older AS patients before and after AVR.
• The data collected provide valuable insights into the physical function of AS patients in real-world environments.
• Objective PA data from trackers can complement traditional assessments of functional recovery post-AVR.