mHealth Support in Cardiac Care Pathways for Patient Self-Management During Transitions From Hospital to Rehabilitation: Exploratory Field Study.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is essential for recovery from cardiovascular disease. However, patients often encounter challenges in navigating the transition from acute hospital care to CR. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies may support this critical phase; however, evidence regarding their clinical practice remains limited.

Supplemental Oxygen during Exercise Training in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Introduction: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a leading cause of mortality worldwide and a debilitating condition that leads to years of poor quality of life. Physical exercise training is an evidence-based treatment well documented to improve these outcomes as well as morbidity, dyspnoea and functional capacity. Moreover, scientific evidence from pooled analyses currently provides equivocal evidence for oxygen supplementation to overcome ventilatory limitations during exercise training, with several studies reporting no additional benefits when compared with training in room air.

Distribution of Cardiovascular Modifiable Risk Factors in a Corporate Wellness Program: A Case Study of Occupational Cardiology in the Ferrari Company.

Introduction: Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and preventive strategies are increasingly focusing on early detection and management of risk factors. Corporate Wellness Programs (CWPs) in workplaces play a crucial role in the primary prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases, especially for early CV modifiable risk detection and management in apparently healthy individuals.

Aim: This study explores the prevalence and age-related distribution of CV modifiable risk factors in a large cohort of Ferrari car manufacturer employees evaluated through a CWP.

Mortality in male bodybuilding athletes.

Background And Aims: Premature deaths of bodybuilders have raised questions about the safety and associated risks of this discipline. The main objective of this study was to analyse mortality risk in a large international population of bodybuilders.

Methods: Male athletes who performed International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) competitions between 2005 and 2020 were identified and classified according to age, division and level.

Muscle Power Versus Strength as a Predictor of Mortality in Middle-Aged and Older Men and Women.

Objective: To assess whether muscle power (force times velocity) outperforms strength as a risk indicator and predictor of mortality.

Participants And Methods: Anthropometric, clinical and vital status, muscle power, and strength data were assessed in 3889 individuals aged 46 to 75 years (2636 [67.8%] men) who were participants in the CLINIMEX Exercise prospective cohort between February 13, 2001, and October 31, 2022.

Active Waiting: Facilitating Short Bouts of Exercise During Idle Times for Promoting Physical Activity in Daily Living.

Background: This work explores the interaction design around the approach of making use of otherwise idle waiting times to perform short bouts of exercise.

Objectives: We provide insights on (1) how digital tools can support the utilisation of waiting times for physical activity, and (2) how an application that makes exercises suggestions in a manner designed to be frictionless is experienced by users.

Methods: We developed the Active Waiting (AW) app, a prototype for addressing physical activity barriers such as time and effort, as well as an additional barrier related to the social awkwardness linked to performing exercises in public.

Effectiveness of the innovative Austrian phase III cardiac rehabilitation model on cardiovascular risk factors: a nationwide registry.

Introduction: The Austrian model of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) begins right after discharge from the acute care hospital. During phase II (OUT-II), it provides a facility-based, professionally supervised, multidisciplinary programme of 6 weeks. The subsequent, supervised phase III (OUT-III) lasts 6 months.

Clinical, Psychological, Physiological, and Technical Parameters and Their Relationship With Digital Tool Use During Cardiac Rehabilitation: Comparison and Correlation Study.

Background: Home and telehealth-based interventions are increasingly used in cardiac rehabilitation, a multidisciplinary model of health care. Digital tools such as wearables or digital training diaries are expected to support patients to adhere to recommended lifestyle changes, including physical exercise programs. As previously published, the EPICURE study (effect of digital tools in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation including home training) analyzed the effects of digital tools, that is, a digital training diary, adherence monitoring, and wearables, on exercise capacity during outpatient cardiac rehabilitation phase III (OUT-III) which includes an approximately 12-week home-training phase.

Interactive Toolkit for Classifying Digital Health Interventions, Services, and Applications Based on the WHO Framework.

The rapidly advancing digital health requires a standardized approach to classifying Digital Health Interventions (DHIs) for better planning, monitoring, and resource distribution. The World Health Organisation (WHO) developed a Classification for Digital Health Interventions, Services, and Applications in Health (CDISAH) in response to this need. The purpose of this study was to develop an interactive toolkit based on WHO's CDISAH to enhance categorization, making it more interactive, user-friendly, and effective in classifying DHI services and applications, and demonstrate its practical implementation in the field of cardiac rehabilitation.

Two-Arm Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial Versus Meta-Analysis of N-of-1 Studies: Comparison of Statistical Efficiency in Determining an Intervention Effect.

N-of-1 trials are currently receiving broader attention in healthcare research when assessing the effectiveness of interventions. In contrast to the most commonly applied two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT), in an N-of-1 design, the individual acts as their own control condition in the sense of a multiple crossover trial. N-of-1 trials can lead to a higher quality of patient by examining the effectiveness of an intervention at an individual level.

Feature Selection for Physical Activity Prediction Using Ecological Momentary Assessments to Personalize Intervention Timing: Longitudinal Observational Study.

Background: There has been a surge in the development of apps that aim to improve health, physical activity (PA), and well-being through behavior change. These apps often focus on creating a long-term and sustainable impact on the user. Just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) that are based on passive sensing of the user's current context (eg, via smartphones and wearables) have been devised to enhance the effectiveness of these apps and foster PA.

Opportunities and barriers for reimbursement of digital therapeutics in Austria: Findings From expert interviews.

Background: Digital therapeutics (DTx) are software-based interventions that aim to prevent or treat especially non-communicable diseases. Currently, no framework for reimbursement of DTx exists in Austria. The aim of this study was to gather a comprehensive perspective on regulatory considerations of Austrian stakeholders with regard to reimbursement of DTx and to outline strategies for establishing a national reimbursement framework.

Effects of structured exercise training on miRNA expression in previously sedentary individuals.

Introduction: Micro ribonucleic acids (miRNA) respond to acute bouts of vigorous exercise, such as maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET), by expressing an anti-atherogenic, anti-inflammatory and hence probably ergogenic profile. However, the impact of long-term engagement in physical exercise on CPET-induced miRNA response in sedentary individuals, with subsequent increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, remains unclear.

Methods: Thirty-four sedentary participants underwent CPET before and after a four-month app-assisted exercise intervention, during which the moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was increased to over 150 min/week.

Validity of Four Consumer-Grade Optical Heart Rate Sensors for Assessing Volume and Intensity Distribution of Physical Activity.

Consumer-grade optical heart rate (HR) sensors emerged as promising tools to monitor volume and intensity of physical activity (PA). However, no validation study of optical HR sensors included recent comprehensive validation recommendations, required for facilitating usage for medical purposes. Validity of HR data measured with four consumer-grade optical sensors, the wrist-worn Garmin Venu 2S and Polar Vantage M2, and the upper arm-worn Polar Verity Sense and Scosche Rhythm24 were assessed in 32 participants over 24 h including various laboratory-based and free-living activities.

The valuable role of cardio-pulmonary exercise testing in the diagnosis of atrial septal defect in a competitive triathlete: a case report.

Background: Atrial septal defect (ASD) is characterized by a diverse clinical presentation influenced by the type, size, and haemodynamics. Endurance athletes with ASD may exhibit higher than normal performance levels, however they face an elevated risk of exercise-induced cardiac volume and pressure strain, potentially expediting a maladaptation of the right heart.

Case Summary: An asymptomatic 28-year-old female elite triathlete sought a pre-participation sports medical examination.

Exploring physical activity preferences and motivation in long-term cardiac prevention: An Austrian cross-sectional survey.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients often do not sustain physical activity (PA) behaviour in the long run, once they progress into a self-management stage of secondary prevention. This study aimed to explore former CR patients' PA preferences, determinants (i.e.

Applying Exercise Capacity and Physical Activity as Single vs Composite Endpoints for Trials of Cardiac Rehabilitation Interventions: Rationale, Use-case, and a Blueprint Method for Sample Size Calculation.

Objective: To conceptualize a composite primary endpoint for parallel-group RCTs of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) interventions and to explore its application and statistical efficiency.

Design: We conducted a statistical exploration of sample size requirements. We combined exercise capacity and physical activity for the composite endpoint (CE), both being directly related to reduced premature mortality in patients with cardiac diseases.

Patients' experiences and perspectives regarding the use of digital technology to support exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation: a qualitative interview study.

Introduction: Despite the well-known benefits of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, participation in cardiac rehabilitation programmes and adherence to secondary prevention recommendations remain limited. Digital technologies have the potential to address low participation and adherence but attempts at implementing digital health interventions in real-life clinical practice frequently encounter various barriers. Studies about patients' experiences and perspectives regarding the use of digital technology can assist developers, researchers and clinicians in addressing or pre-empting patient-related barriers.

Cardiovascular disease as part of Long COVID: a systematic review.

Aims: Long COVID syndrome has had a major impact on million patients' lives worldwide. The cardiovascular system is an important aspect of this multifaceted disease that may manifest in many ways. We have hereby performed a narrative review in order to identify the extent of the cardiovascular manifestations of the Long COVID syndrome.

Investigating shared decision-making during the use of a digital health tool for physical activity planning in cardiac rehabilitation.

Background: Shared decision making (SDM) between healthcare professionals and persons with CVD can have a positive impact on motivation, adherence, or sustainability regarding long-term goals and integration of cardiovascular disease (CVD) rehabilitation in the everyday lives of persons with CVD. SDM can foster the transition between regular heart-healthy activity at rehabilitation facilities and more independent activity at home, but it is often challenging to implement SDM given limited time and resources, e.g.