Exercise Training in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Abstract

Background: Evidence from many studies demonstrates that regular exercise has a favorable effect on cardiovascular disease, but it is still unclear whether adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) benefit from exercise training. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of exercise training on ACHD.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, and Web of Science databases were searched. Differences were expressed using mean difference (MD) with 95% CI. The statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan 5.3). Outcomes, including cardiorespiratory fitness, neurohumoral activation (NT-proBNP levels), rating of perceived exertion (Borg scale), and safety status, were investigated.

Results: Nine trials with 403 ACHD were included. The following outcomes were statistically significant: peak (Equation is included in full-text article.)O2 (MD = 1.96, 95% CI, 0.70-3.23; P = .002); maximal workload (MD = 11.46, 95% CI, 7.06-15.87; P < .00001); and maximal exercise duration (MD = 2.04, 95% CI, 1.00-3.07; P = .0001). But no significant decrease was reported regarding neurohumoral activation or the rating of perceived exertion. Furthermore, no major adverse events were reported. The overall quality of evidence ranged from moderate to very low.

Conclusions: Evidence was underpowered to suggest that exercise training is effective in the management of ACHD. Future studies with longer follow-up are needed.