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Exercise, prescription and training in ACHD
Guido Pieles1,2, Michael Papadakis3, Werner Budts4
1Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital Doha, Qatar.
Insights
Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) are increasing and face cardiovascular risks. Preventive strategies, including regular physical activity, are crucial for managing these risks and improving well-being.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Preventive Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- The prevalence of adult congenital heart disease (CHD) now surpasses pediatric cases due to improved survival rates.
- Adult CHD survivors are increasingly exposed to traditional cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, obesity, and sedentary behavior.
- These acquired risk factors contribute to the development of atherosclerotic disease in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical importance of preventive strategies for adult patients with CHD.
- To advocate for the integration of physical activity into the management of adult CHD.
- To demonstrate the safety and feasibility of exercise and sports participation for individuals with CHD.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on adult CHD management and cardiovascular risk factors.
- Analysis of the role of physical activity in cardiovascular health.
- Examination of guidelines for exercise prescription (WHO/NICE) and their applicability to CHD patients.
Main Results:
- Adult CHD patients face a significant burden of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
- Minimum recommended physical activity offers substantial physical and mental health benefits.
- Exercise and sports, including recreational and competitive levels, can be safely undertaken by many individuals with CHD.
Conclusions:
- A proactive preventive strategy is essential for managing adult CHD.
- Exercise prescriptions based on minimum WHO/NICE recommendations should be standard for all CHD patients.
- Physical activity is a safe and beneficial component of lifelong care for adults with CHD, promoting overall health and well-being.
Abstract:
The number of adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) is steadily increasing and exceeds nowadays the number of children with CHD. This is due to significant advances in therapeutic possibilities that became available over the last four decades. As such, this aging population survives the CHD complications and is exposed to the traditional cardiovascular risk factors for atherosclerotic disease such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, long-standing exposure to smoking, overweight and obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle. Consequently, it becomes important to put more emphasis on all these risk factors. A preventive strategy is central, and early encouragement of physical activity is part of this approach. A minimum of physical activity has a beneficial effect both physically and mentally. With this overview, we mainly want to emphasize the importance of preventive measures. We would like to emphasize that all individuals should receive an exercise prescription which adheres to the minimum recommendations by WHO/NICE and this advice should form the baseline. Moreover, we intend to show that physical activity can be done safely in patients with CHD and that recreational and competitive sports are feasible in many circumstances.
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