Lifestyle physical activity and rapid-rate non sustained ventricular tachycardia in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Objective To investigate the association of accelerometer-measured lifestyle physical activity with rapid-rate non-sustained ventricular tachycardias (RR NSVTs) in patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC). Methods This multicentre, observational study enrolled 72 patients with AC, including right, left and biventricular forms of the disease, with underlying desmosomal and non-desmosomal mutations. Lifestyle physical activity, objectively monitored with accelerometers (ie, movement sensors) and RR-NSVT, identified as >188 bpm and >18 beats from a textile Holter ECG for 30 days. Results Sixty-three patients with AC (38±17.6 years, 57% men) were included. A total of 17 patients experienced ≥1 RR-NSVTs, and a total of 35 events were recorded. The odds of occurrence of ≥1 RR-NSVT during the recording did not increase as a function of either total physical activity (OR 0.95, 95% CI (CI95%) 0.68 to 1.30 for 60 min increase) or moderate-to vigorous activities (OR 0.89, CI95% 0.71 to 1.08 for 5 min increase). Participants presenting RR-NSVTs during the recording (n=17) did not present greater odds of RR NSVT in the days with more time either in total physical activity (OR 1.05, CI95% 0.84 to 1.29 for additional 60 min) or moderate-to-vigorous activities (OR 1.05, CI95% 0.97 to 1.12 for additional 5 min). Physical activity levels were neither different between the patients with and without RR-NSVTs during the recording period nor in the days of occurrence of RR-NSVT compared with the rest of the days. Finally, 4 of the 35 RR-NSVTs recorded in the 30 days occurred during physical activity (3 during moderate-to-vigorous intensity and 1 during light intensity activities). Conclusions These findings suggest that lifestyle physical activity is not associated with RR-NSVTs in patients with AC.