Physical Activity Measured With Implanted Devices Predicts Patient Outcome in Chronic Heart Failure

Background—Physical activity (PA) predicts cardiovascular mortality in the population at large. Less is known about its prognostic value in patients with chronic heart failure (HF). Methods and Results—Data from 836 patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator without or with cardiac resynchronization therapy enrolled in the Sensitivity of the InSync Sentry OptiVol feature for the prediction of Heart Failure (SENSE-HF)1 study and the Diagnostic Outcome Trial in Heart Failure (DOT-HF) were pooled. The devices continuously measured and stored total daily active time (single-axis accelerometer). Early PA (average daily activity over the earliest 30-day study period) was studied as a predictor of time to death or HF-related hospital admission (primary end point). Data from 781 patients were analyzed (65±10 years; 85% men; left ventricular ejection fraction, 26±7%). Older age, shorter height, ischemic cause, peripheral artery disease, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, rales, peripheral edema, hig...