title: Habitual Physical Activity in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease Compared With Age- and Sex-Matched Controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) have reduced aerobic exercise capacity. Their habitual physical activity (PA) level is, however, less well studied. In this study, habitual PA level in a cohort of adults with CHD compared with healthy age- and sex-matched controls was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty adults with CHD, classed as either "complex" (n = 40) or "simple" (n = 40), and 42 healthy controls were studied with a combined uniaxial accelerometer and heart rate monitor worn during 4 consecutive days. We analyzed: (1) the time spent during moderate or vigorous PA; (2) accelerometer counts per day; and (3) to what extent the World Health Organization recommendations on PA were reached.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with simple lesions had higher total accelerometer counts per day compared with patients with complex lesions and controls (simple lesions: median [interquartile range] 107.7 [76.3-139.1] vs complex lesions: 72.8 [49.2-101.0] and controls: 78.3 [58.7-106.9]; P ≤ 0.001 and P = 0.002). Furthermore, no differences in time spent during moderate or vigorous PA was found between patients and controls. In addition 46% of the patients with simple lesions, 55% of the patients with complex lesions, and 44% of the controls did not reach the World Health Organization-recommended level of daily PA, but no significant differences between groups were found. There were no differences in achieving recommended PA level between patients in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I vs NYHA class II and III.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with CHD follow the same PA level pattern as the general population. Broad strategies to promote an active lifestyle are needed across the population and especially for patients with complex CHD and impaired NYHA class.
authors.affiliation: Heart Centre and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. Electronic address: camilla.sandberg@medicin.umu.se.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sandberg
authors.affiliation: Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pomeroy
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Thilén
authors.affiliation: Heart Centre and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gradmark
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wadell
authors.affiliation: Heart Centre and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Johansson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006184:Habits; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology