Around 400 people between the ages of 10 and 55 years of age are being recruited across Australia for the world-first study to test the exercise theory, which will be the largest ever randomised controlled trial in this cohort.
So far, about 40 people have been signed up across New South Wales and are already putting their fitness to the test.
Participants initially undertake 60 minutes of low to moderate intensity exercise three times a week, which will increase over the four-month program.
They’ll work in either small groups or one-on-one with HRI exercise physiologists in local Fitness First or Club Lime gyms. Those in regional areas will use a combination of a telehealth service and a tailored exercise program at home, while researchers carefully study the impact exercise has on their physical and psychological wellbeing.
Dr Tran said the benefits of exercise to the general population are widely known, but it’s not known what effect exercise can have on those with CHD.
“We know that regular exercise provides systemic benefits beyond the heart, to the whole body, including bone density, improving cognition and mental health. We also know that people with CHD are at an increased risk of comorbidities and chronic diseases because, for one reason or another, they’ve been sedentary for much of their lives,” he said.
Leading HRI cardiologist Assoc Prof Rachael Cordina said emerging research suggests exercising could be more important for people with even the most complex types of CHD, because it has special effects on the circulation.
“People living with half a heart have no heart pump to push blood up through the lungs, so they rely heavily on the exercising muscles in the body – but there is hardly any research to understand the true impact of exercise on these special circulations and how to safely implement exercise training,” said Assoc Prof Cordina.
