Heart-eXg Study of Exergaming to Reduce Sedentary Time in Adults With Symptomatic Heart Failure

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to assess the impact of tailored exergaming on patients with symptomatic heart failure who are physically inactive. The study focuses on reducing sedentary time, enhancing daily physical activity, improving exercise capacity, decreasing frailty, and boosting health-related quality of life. It involves adult patients receiving standard guideline-directed medical therapy and is structured as a pilot study followed by a multicenter, open-label randomized clinical trial with a six-month follow-up. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups for a three-month period a control group receiving tailored activity advice or an intervention group receiving the Heart-Exergame Heart-eXg. The Heart-eXg is a mobile exergame designed to promote physical activity through farming-themed challenges, adaptable to different mobility levels, and includes social play options. Patients in the intervention group receive feedback and personalized gaming advice from a coach, with weekly feedback in the first month and tailored contact thereafter. Control group participants receive protocol-based activity advice from healthcare professionals. During the study, participants will be introduced to the exergame and monitored using activity trackers. Researchers will assess sedentary time as the primary outcome, with secondary measures including exercise capacity, physical frailty, clinical frailty, and health-related quality of life at baseline, three months, and six months. The study includes assessments of physical activity levels and quality of life, with ongoing feedback and coaching to support adherence. The total participation duration covers active intervention and follow-up periods to evaluate sustained effects.

Effects of Exergaming to Reduce Sedentary Time in Inactive Patients With Heart Failure