Inspiratory muscle training did not improve exercise capacity and lung function in adult patients with Fontan circulation: A randomized controlled trial.

Backgrounds: Patients with Fontan circulation have no subpulmonary ventricle and a passive pulmonary perfusion. Considerable percentage of the pulmonary blood flow is driven by pressure shift due to respiration. Impairments in respiratory musculature strength are associated with a reduced exercise capacity.

Is Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Increased in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease?

Background Because of the increasing numbers of congenital patients surviving into adulthood, early diagnosis and prevention of acquired cardiovascular disease is reasonable. The aim of this study was to detect diagnostic subgroups of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) that have increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), a subclinical marker of cardiovascular damage. Methods and Results This study enrolled 831 ACHD patients (392 women, aged 38.

Correction To: Effects of a lifestyle intervention in routine care on prenatal physical activity - findings from the cluster-randomised GeliS trial.

Following publication of the original article [1], the author notified us about incorrectly formatted of Table 2 and Table 3.

Health-Related Physical Fitness and Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents With Isolated Left-to-Right Shunt.

Atrial (ASD) and ventricular septal defects (VSD) represent the most common congenital heart defects (CHD) and are considered simple and curable. This study investigates long-term functional outcomes in children with such defects. We examined 147 patients (74 girls, 12.

Comparison of the Stanford ECG Left Atrial Criteria With the International ECG Criteria for Sports Screening.

Objective: Because the International left atrial enlargement electrocardiographic (ECG) screening criteria (ECG-LAE) for athletes are rarely fulfilled in young athletes, we compared it with evidence-based criteria from a recent clinical outcome study of ECG left atrial abnormality (ECG-LAA).

Design: Retrospective analyses.

Setting: Routine preparticipation ECG screening in California.

Children with Congenital Heart Disease Are Active but Need to Keep Moving: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Wrist-Worn Physical Activity Trackers.

Objective: To compare daily physical activity of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) with healthy peers measured using wearables bracelets in a large cohort. Additionally, subjectively estimated and objectively measured physical activity was compared.

Study Design: From September 2017 to May 2019, 162 children (11.

Awareness of oral health in adults with congenital heart disease.

Background: Poor oral health is known to be a risk factor for infective endocarditis (IE) and acquired cardiovascular disease. Many patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at risk for developing IE. Excellent oral health is deemed essential to prevent IE, a potentially life-threatening condition, and therefore is important in adults with congenital heart defects (ACHD).

The value of hand grip strength (HGS) as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in congenital heart disease.

Background: In patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), there is little data on the diagnostic and prognostic relevance of hand grip strength (HGS) for clinical assignment, while in the general population the loss of muscle strength and mass is an important risk factor in cardiovascular disease which is conversely associated with morbidity and all-cause mortality. This study aimed to assess the degree of muscle dysfunction using HGS as a biomarker in a large group of patients with CHD who often develop muscle dysfunction.

Methods: In total, 385 patients (27.

Effects of a lifestyle intervention in routine care on prenatal physical activity - findings from the cluster-randomised GeliS trial.

Background: Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with an increased risk of pregnancy and obstetric complications. The "healthy living in pregnancy" (GeliS) study was performed in a routine care setting with the aim of limiting excessive GWG. The purpose of this secondary analysis is to evaluate the effect of the intervention on physical activity (PA) behaviour and to assess the impact of PA intensities on GWG.

Influence of Vigorous Physical Activity on Structure and Function of the Cardiovascular System in Young Athletes-The MuCAYA-Study.

Moderate physical activity (PA) is associated with a reduced risk to develop cardiovascular disease. However, junior athletes exercise between 10 and 20 h a week with intensities exceeding moderate levels by far. In this regard, the cardiovascular system has to increase its work five to six times compared to moderate intensities.

Postexercise changes in peripheral and central blood pressure during a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in healthy young men.

Background: Central systolic blood pressure (cSBP), a measure of arterial stiffness, determines the afterload of the heart and provides greater prognostic significance regarding cardiovascular outcomes than peripheral systolic blood pressure (pSBP). Physical exercise is associated with an acute hypotensive effect on pSBP, but the significance of exercise on cSBP is missing. This study investigates the effect of a single exercise bout on pSBP and cSBP during a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM).

Metabolic syndrome in adults with congenital heart disease and increased intima-media thickness.

Aims: Age-related cardiovascular diseases are a relevant risk in the aging population of adults with congenital heart diseases (ACHD). Risk factors such as the metabolic syndrome (MetS) impact the risk of increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and thereby long-term cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study was to assess MetS in ACHD and outline a possible association to cIMT.

Remote Ischemic Preconditioning Has No Short Term Effect on Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Arterial Stiffness in Healthy Young Adults.

Objective: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) are short episodes of ischemia and reperfusion applied to remote tissue to trigger responses in a specific organ or cardiovascular bed. This study investigates whether RIPC has a short-term effect on blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and arterial stiffness.

Patients And Methods: From March 2018 to August 2018, we included 40 healthy volunteers (23 female, age 25.

Comparison of Two Measurement Devices for Pulse Wave Velocity in Children: Which Tool Is Useful to Detect Vascular Alterations Caused by Overweight?

Vascular alterations may lead to manifest cardiovascular disease in future life. There is a tremendous time delay between the onset and obvious clinical appearance of vascular alterations. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is one subclinical parameter to detect vascular alterations at a very early stage.

Oral Health in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease.

Oral bacteria and odontogenic oral infections are responsible for a high portion of cases with infective endocarditis. Hence, oral health in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) gains particular importance. This case-control study compared the oral health status in 112 adults with CHD and 168 healthy control subjects.

Functional outcomes in children with anatomically repaired transposition of the great arteries with regard to congenital ventricular septal defect and coronary pattern.

Objective: Despite decreasing mortality, functional impairments in children with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) are still a concern. This study analyses health-related physical fitness (HRPF), arterial stiffness and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with anatomically repaired TGA regarding congenital ventricular septal defect (VSD) and coronary patterns.

Patients And Methods: 68 children with anatomically repaired TGA with or without VSD (12.

Effects of Mobile Health Including Wearable Activity Trackers to Increase Physical Activity Outcomes Among Healthy Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review.

Background: Children and adolescents do not meet the current recommendations on physical activity (PA), and as such, the health-related benefits of regular PA are not achieved. Nowadays, technology-based programs represent an appealing and promising option for children and adolescents to promote PA.

Objective: The aim of this review was to systematically evaluate the effects of mobile health (mHealth) and wearable activity trackers on PA-related outcomes in this target group.

Effects of Congenital Heart Disease Treatmenton Quality of Life.

With rising survival rates of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), functional health variables have become the key aspect in treatment evaluation. The effectiveness of various treatment options on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the objectively measured exercise capacity as peak oxygen uptake (VO peak) remains rather unclear and hence, its investigation is the primary aim of this study. Data from 1014 patients (≥14-years-old, various CHD) were retrospectively reviewed.

Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Children and Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: With increased long-term survival, children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at increased risk of early-onset adult cardiovascular disease. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis. The aim of this present study was to detect high-risk diagnostic subgroups by measuring cIMT and determine its correlates in children with CHD and subgroups of CHD compared with healthy controls.

Better lung function with increased handgrip strength, as well as maximum oxygen uptake, in congenital heart disease across the lifespan.

Background: The respiratory benefits of muscle strength are well-known in heart-healthy populations, but recommendations and research often focus instead on aerobic fitness (peak oxygen uptake) or total activity. Independent benefits of strength thus may be underestimated, especially in congenital heart disease where perceived dangers of certain types of exercise may outweigh perceived benefits. To assess whether it is plausible that pulmonary benefits of strength in heart-healthy populations also apply in congenital heart disease, we simultaneously correlated these patients' lung function with fitness, strength, and cardiac diagnosis.

Age-related cardiovascular risk in adult patients with congenital heart disease.

Aims: Since the number of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) is increasing, age-related cardiovascular diseases become a relevant risk for ACHD. While previous studies investigated isolated risk factors only, this study examines the cardiovascular risk of ACHD based on the PROCAM scores.

Methods And Results: From January 2017 to April 2018, 551 ACHD aged 30 years or older (43.

Reduced Handgrip Strength in Congenital Heart Disease With Regard to the Shunt Procedure in Infancy.

In many patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) arterial blood flow to the arms is inhibited due to shunt surgery in infancy. This study investigates the handgrip strength of patients with CHD in regard to previous shunt procedures. Handgrip was evaluated in 424 patients with various CHD (189 female, age 28.

Web-Based Motor Intervention to Increase Health-Related Physical Fitness in Children With Congenital Heart Disease: A Study Protocol.

Exercise interventions are underutilized in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) especially when the primary outcome is not peak oxygen uptake. Most of the studies are restricted to a low sample size and proximity of the patients to the study centers. Now eHealth approaches bear a promising but also challenging opportunity to transmit such intervention programs to participants, and check progress and compliance from remote.

Functional outcome in contemporary children and young adults with tetralogy of Fallot after repair.

Objective: Functional outcome measures are of growing importance in the aftercare of patients with congenital heart disease. This study addresses the functional status with regard to exercise capacity, health-related physical fitness (HRPF) and arterial stiffness in a recent cohort of children, adolescents and young adults with tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) after repair.

Design: Single-centre, uncontrolled and prospective cohort study.