Digital-Based Cardiac Rehab May Be Viable for Patients With Heart Failure

Digital therapeutic-based cardiac rehabilitation appears a promising alternative to center-based rehabilitation for patients with heart failure, according to a systematic review published in ESC Heart Failure.

“Digital therapeutics is a novel concept proposed in recent years that refers to the use of evidence-based therapeutic interventions driven by high-quality software programs to treat, manage, or prevent a medical condition,” explained a research team from Sichuan University in China. “However, little is known about the use of this technology in heart failure patients.”

Researchers conducted a systematic review to investigate the safety and efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation via digital therapeutics in patients with heart failure. 

Five studies spanning 1119 patients were included in the review. Among patients, the average age was 66, body mass index was 25.9, and 6-minute walk distance was 398 meters. New York Heart Association classifications ranged from I to III, according to the study.

Digital therapeutic-based cardiac rehabilitation significantly increased exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with heart failure, most of studies showed. It was also more effective than conventional rehabilitation or usual care in improving mental health. Researchers found no reports of deaths or serious adverse events. Furthermore, adherence exceeded 85% in all three of the studies that reported on the outcome.

“Overall, although this study suggests that digital therapeutics-based cardiac rehabilitation may be a viable intervention for heart failure patients during the COVID-19 era, the efficacy of this new model in routine clinical practice needs to be further validated in a large clinical trial,” researchers advised. 

Reference:
Zhang X, Luo Z, Yang M, Huang W, Yu P. Efficacy and safety of digital therapeutics-based cardiac rehabilitation in heart failure patients: a systematic review. ESC Heart Fail. 2022;9(6):3751-3760. doi:10.1002/ehf2.14145