Fitness Trackers and Smartphone Apps Boost Physical Activity in Cardiovascular Disease Patients, Meta-Analysis Finds
核心洞察
A meta-analysis of 14 clinical trials with 1,057 participants found that cardiovascular disease (搜索) patients using smartphone apps or wearables walked nearly 1,100 more steps per day.
Participants using digital tools engaged in approximately four additional minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily compared to those without such tools.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found no significant improvements in peak oxygen consumption or walking distance.
A new meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Heart Association provides evidence that smartphone apps, fitness trackers, and wearable devices can help people with cardiovascular disease (搜索) become more physically active. The review, which examined 14 clinical trials involving 1,057 participants with diagnosed cardiovascular conditions, found that those who used digital tools walked nearly 1,100 more steps per day and added about four extra minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily compared to peers who did not use such technologies.
The findings are significant given that fewer than one-third of people with cardiovascular disease (搜索) are physically active, according to research cited by the American Heart Association.
Addressing Barriers to Cardiac Rehabilitation
Physical activity is crucial for preventing additional cardiovascular events among people with cardiovascular disease (搜索). However, traditional cardiac rehabilitation programs remain out of reach for many patients.
"Many people with cardiovascular disease (搜索) can't participate in traditional cardiac rehabilitation programs because of time, distance or financial barriers," said Ajith Vemuri, Ph.D., the study's lead author and a staff scientist in neurology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (搜索) in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Smartphones and wearables offer a distinct advantage in this context. They are already in people's pockets and on their wrists, and they can deliver reminders, feedback, daily step goals, motivational messages, coaching, and progress tracking without requiring a trip to a rehabilitation center. Some programs in the review also incorporated gamification elements such as quizzes and rewards, along with coaching and goal review, allowing people to track their progress and adjust their activity goals.
"Smartphones and wearables are already in people's pockets and on their wrists. When we show that these devices can effectively support routine care, we can start designing cost-effective, personalized digital interventions that reach a much wider population," Vemuri said.
Key Findings and Clinical Implications
The meta-analysis found that compared to control groups, participants using smartphone apps or wearable technologies walked nearly 1,100 more steps daily and engaged in approximately four more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous movement per day.
"We noticed that these benefits occurred even though the tools varied and used simple behavior-change methods, such as self-monitoring, feedback and goal setting," said Ramin Zand, M.D., M.P.H., the study's senior author and professor of neurology and public health at Penn State College of Medicine. "These tools did not significantly improve peak oxygen consumption or walking distance. This means that while digital programs can motivate patients to be more active, longer studies are needed to see if these changes lead to lasting improvement in fitness and overall health outcomes."
Damon L. Swift, Ph.D., FAHA, immediate past-chair of the American Heart Association's Lifestyle Physical Activity Committee and an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Virginia, emphasized the clinical relevance of even modest activity gains. "There is a health benefit from going from inactive to somewhat active and there is reduced risk of death for even getting up to about 7,000 steps per day. Therefore, wearable technology may have a positive impact on cardiovascular disease (搜索) by encouraging people to be a little more active."
Study Design and Limitations
The meta-analysis reviewed 14 clinical trials involving participants with diagnosed cardiovascular disease (搜索), including coronary heart disease (搜索), heart failure (搜索), heart attack, or stroke (搜索) history. The digital tools employed varied across studies but commonly used behavior-change methods such as self-monitoring, feedback, and goal setting.
The researchers acknowledged important limitations. The review did not find significant improvements in peak oxygen consumption or walking distance, two key measures of cardiorespiratory fitness. Additionally, the duration of the included studies was limited, and the authors stressed that longer-term research is needed to determine whether the observed activity increases are sustained over time and whether they translate into better long-term health outcomes.
"These devices are not just gadgets. When included in a treatment plan, they can support routine care and help patients take small yet important steps toward better cardiovascular health," Zand said.
The study reinforces an April 2021 American Heart Association scientific statement, which noted that mobile health technology can encourage lifestyle behavior changes and medication adherence among adults with existing heart disease, including those aged 60 years and older.