MedPath

Effects of Exergaming to Reduce Sedentary Time in Inactive Patients With Heart Failure

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Cardiovascular Diseases
Interventions
Other: Heart Farming
Registration Number
NCT05641662
Lead Sponsor
Linkoeping University
Brief Summary

The goal of this to determine the effect of tailored exergaming for inactive patients with heart failure to reduce their sedentary time, improve their daily physical activity, exercise capacity, decrease frailty and improve health-related quality of life.

Participants will, on a background of standard guideline-directed medical therapy patients, be randomised to tailored activity advice (control) or the Heart-Exergame (Heart-eXg) intervention for a period of 3 months. Patients randomised to the Heart-eXg group will receive an exergame with feedback and tailoring to adapt the exergaming advice. Patients will also be able to play with a person in their own network.

Detailed Description

Rationale: Heart failure (HF) is an increasing global health concern with over 20 million patients worldwide. A decrease in sedentary time can have beneficial effects for a growing group of inactive patients with HF. The use of exergames (games to improve physical activity) is promising for people who are home bound and physically inactive. Such a gaming activity should be attractive, tailored to preferences and to capacity.

Objective: To determine the effect of tailored exergaming for inactive patients with HF to reduce their sedentary time, improve their daily physical activity, exercise capacity, decrease frailty and improve health-related quality of life.

Study design: A pilot study and a multicentre, open-label 1:1 randomised clinical trial with 6 months follow-up.

Study population: Adult patients with symptomatic HF: n= 20 for the pilot study and n=600 for the main study

Intervention: On a background of standard guideline-directed medical therapy patients will be randomised to tailored activity advice (control) or the Heart-Exergame (Heart-eXg) intervention for a period of 3 months. Patients randomised to the Heart-eXg group will receive an exergame with feedback and tailoring to adapt the exergaming advice. Patients will also be able to play with a person in their own network.

Main study parameters/endpoints: Primary endpoint is sedentary time (actigraphy). Secondary outcomes are daily physical activity, submaximal exercise capacity, physical frailty, health-related quality of life.

This study will gain insight into the effects of using an exergame that is easily applicable and affordable. Given the vast growing target population of patients with HF worldwide, and the simplicity of the intervention, potentially millions of patients may benefit from the results of this study.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
750
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Diagnosed with symptomatic HF (NYHA II-IV) as diagnosed by cardiologist, (independent of Ejection Fraction: Patients with a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrREF) or reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) can be included.
  2. Clinically stable
  3. Physically inactive
  4. Older than 18 years, there is no upper age limit,
  5. Speak/understand the language of the country where the study is taking place.
  6. Wanting to use a smartphone for the study (if patients do not have a smartphone, they can borrow it from the study team for the duration of the study)
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Unable to use an exergame due to visual, hearing, cognitive impairment assessed by HF nurse or cardiologist.
  2. Not being able to perform the 6-minute walk test.
  3. Not being able or willing to wear an activity monitor.
  4. Currently included in a rehabilitation program
  5. Lack of willingness to play an exergame.
  6. Co-morbidity that hinders benefitting for this form of exercise (history of stroke, severe cognitive dysfunction, or a life expectancy shorter than 6 months).

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Exergame groupHeart FarmingPatients will be introduced to the exergame and the exergame will be installed following a protocol either by the patients themselves or an instructor of the study. Patients will be advised to exergame daily based on their activity monitor reading at baseline and based on their current activity level and preferences. During the 3 months of active intervention patients will receive feedback on their activity level and data will also be shared with the coach who will use it to adapt the gaming advice. A clear exergaming goal will be set together by patient and coach. In the first month, they will receive weekly feedback on their performance based on the readings from the activity monitor and the reading from the exergame. In the rest of the active study team the frequency of the contact with the coach will be personalized.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Sedentary time3 months

Sedentary time measured with activity monitor Actigraph

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Clinical frailtyBaseline, 3 months and 6 months

Clinical Frailty Scale: a frailty score ranging from 1 (very fit) to 9 (terminally ill)

Exercise CapacityBaseline, 3 months and 6 months

6-minute walk test

FrailtyBaseline, 3 months and 6 months

Fried Frailty tests

Heart Failure specific Quality of LifeBaseline, 3 months and 6 months

12 item Kansas City Cardiomyopathy includes that quantifies physical limitations, symptom frequency, Quality of Life, and social limitation, along with a summary scores for each domain, scoring from 0 to 100. Zero denoting the worst and 100 the best possible health status.

General Quality of LifeBaseline, 3 months and 6 months

EuroQol-5 Dimension 5 levels (EQ-5D) includes five domain scales (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain and discomfort, and anxiety and depression) and five levels for each domain. A higher score in the EQ-5D-5L indicated better HRQOL

Sedentary time6 months

Sedentary time measured with activity monitor Actigraph

Trial Locations

Locations (10)

P. J. Safarik University

🇸🇰

Norrköping, Slovakia

Hospital de Bellvitge

🇪🇸

Barcelona, Spain

Hospital del Mar

🇪🇸

Barcelona, Spain

INCLIVA

🇪🇸

Valencia, Spain

Primary Health Care Centers Östergötland

🇸🇪

Norrköping, Sweden

Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital

🇪🇸

Barcelona, Spain

Xarxa Assistencial Universitaria

🇪🇸

Manresa, Spain

Jönköping Hospital Rydhov

🇸🇪

Jönköping, Sweden

Kalmar Länssjukhuset

🇸🇪

Kalmar, Sweden

Linköping University Hospital

🇸🇪

Linköping, Sweden

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath