Actively Recruiting
Arrhythmogenic Activity During Exercise in ARVC Patients
Led by Swiss Federal Institute of Technology · Updated on 2026-03-24
120
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
230 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
S
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Lead Sponsor
U
University of Zurich
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Current guidelines advocate that ARVC patients, typically young and active individuals with a significant history of competitive endurance sports, cease endurance training in favour of activities with low cardiac burden such as bowling and golf. Empirically, it is often suggested that heart rate during exercise should not exceed 100-120 bpm in these patients, but these guidelines are arbitrary and not scientifically based. In practice, it is estimated that up to 50% of patients do not comply with these recommendations . Adequate quantification of the arrhythmogenic burden, defined as premature ventricular beats in proportion to all heart beats in each period of time, and cardiac load (defined as stroke volume for volume load and systolic blood pressure for pressure load) experienced by ARVC patients when performing different types of physical exercise would be a first step towards designing a safe and effective intervention so that these patients can profit from an active life style. This study therefore aims to quantify and describe the arrhythmogenic burden and cardiac load experienced by patients with ARVC while performing different physical exercise over a range of intensities - all strictly within the range currently recommended by different cardiological societies.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Arrhythmogenic Activity During Exercise in ARVC Patients
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Definitive ARVC diagnosis according to the modified 2010 ARVC Task Force Criteria
- Pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant in plakophilin-2, desmoglein-2, desmoplakin genes, or gene-elusive definite ARVC
- Control group with ischemic heart disease and ejection fraction above 35%
- Agreement from primary cardiologist that study participation is acceptable
- No exercise-induced syncope in the 6 months before participation
- No sudden cardiac arrest in the 6 months before participation
- Patients with ICD and on beta-blockers/antiarrhythmic drugs if history of sudden cardiac arrest or arrhythmic syncope
- Signed informed consent
- Age over 14 years
- Body Mass Index between 18.5 and 39.9 kg/m²
- Willingness to follow study rules including no intense exercise 48h prior, no exercise 24h prior, adequate sleep, no caffeine or alcohol before testing, and adherence to medication regimen
You will not qualify if you...
- No genetic testing history for ARVC variants
- Heart failure with severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (below 35%)
- For women: pregnancy, breastfeeding, or intention to become pregnant during the study
- Known or suspected non-compliance, drug, or alcohol abuse
- Inability to follow study procedures due to language, psychological, or cognitive issues
- Previous enrollment in this study
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Exercise Physiology Lab, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich
Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, 8092
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
F
Fernando G Beltrami, PhD
CONTACT
C
Christina M Spengler, PhD, MD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NA
Model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary Purpose
PREVENTION
Number of Arms
1
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