Peak oxygen consumption by smartwatches compared with cardiopulmonary exercise test in complex congenital heart...

To evaluate for correlation between exercise capacity as assessed by peak oxygen consumption (pVO₂) measurement during a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and smartwatches reporting this parameter in patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) complex lesions.

A prospective study that included patients with ACHD either a Fontan circulation or a right ventricle supporting the systemic circulation who underwent two separate CPETs at least 1 year apart. Generalised estimating equations linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with correlation between smartwatch and CPET-derived pVO₂.

48 patients (71% with a Fontan circulation, 42% females, mean age 33±9 years) underwent two CPETs between May 2018 and May 2022 with echocardiograms performed within 6 months of each CPET. Apple Watch was the predominant smartwatch used (79%). Smartwatch and CPET measured peak heart rate (Pearson correlation=0.932, 95% CI (0.899, 0.954)) and pVO₂ (0.8627, 95% CI (0.8007, 0.9064) and 0.8634, 95% CI (0.7676, 0.9215) in the first and second CPET, respectively) correlated well, with smartwatch-measured pVO₂ values measuring higher by a mean of 3.146 mL/kg/min (95% CI (2.559, 3.732)). Changes in pVO₂ between the first and the second CPET also correlated well (Pearson correlation=0.9165, 95% CI (0.8549, 0.9525)), indicating that for every 1 mL/(min kg) change in CPET-measured pVO₂, there was a corresponding 0.896 mL/(min kg) change in the smartwatch-measured pVO₂.

Both absolute values and changes over time in pVO₂ as measured by smartwatches and CPETs correlate well in patients with complex ACHD.