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A Method for Quantifying Upper Limb Performance in Daily Life Using Accelerometers
Published on: April 21, 2017
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Accelerometry-defined physical activity and quality of life in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Stephan A C Schoonvelde1, Peter-Paul Zwetsloot2,3, Alexander Hirsch2,4
1Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Institute, Thorax Center, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands s.schoonvelde@erasmusmc.nl.
Heart (British Cardiac Society)
|August 31, 2025
Summary
Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have lower physical activity levels than healthy individuals. Increased daily steps correlate with better quality of life, emphasizing personalized exercise guidance.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients often limit physical activity due to sudden cardiac death concerns.
- Objective data on physical activity in HCM, linked to clinical factors and quality of life (QoL), is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively assess physical activity patterns in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients.
- To investigate the relationship between physical activity, clinical phenotype, and quality of life (QoL) in HCM.
Main Methods:
- 7-day accelerometry used to measure physical activity in 203 HCM patients and 37 genotype-positive, phenotype-negative (G+/P-) controls.
- Assessed daily steps, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and sedentariness.
- QoL evaluated using Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) and EuroQoL 5-domain 5-level (EQ-5D-5L).
Main Results:
- HCM patients exhibited significantly lower daily steps, less MVPA, and higher sedentariness compared to controls (p<0.01).
- Symptomatic, obstructive, and asymptomatic obstructive HCM patients showed the lowest activity; obesity and cardiac medications were also associated with reduced activity.
- Higher daily step counts positively correlated with improved KCCQ and EQ-5D-5L scores (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- Physical activity is objectively lower in HCM patients, especially those with symptoms, obstruction, or obesity.
- Even small increases in daily steps are linked to better QoL, underscoring the importance of tailored exercise advice for HCM patients.
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