Evaluation of Free-living Physical Activity and the Assessment Tools Used to Support Pharmacological Therapy Titration and Exercise Prescription in Children and Adolescents Diagnosed With Inherited Arrhythmias

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying children and adolescents aged 6 to 16 years who have inherited arrhythmias, including Long QT Syndrome and Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia, to understand how exercise testing relates to their daily physical activity. The study aims to find out if the maximum heart rate reached during controlled exercise tests matches the maximum heart rate during everyday activities. It also compares different exercise testing methods and assesses actual physical activity versus reported activity using questionnaires and diaries. Participants will undergo a routine clinical exercise tolerance test on a treadmill, following a 15-minute protocol with increasing speed and incline. After this test, they will wear activity and heart rate monitors for two weeks to record heart rhythm, heart rate, step count, and types and intensity of physical activity. They will also keep a digital diary and complete a physical activity questionnaire at the end of the monitoring period. Both children with inherited arrhythmias and healthy controls (unaffected siblings or children undergoing screening) will take part. Throughout the study, researchers will collect data from the exercise tests, wearable monitors, digital diaries, and questionnaires to compare heart rate and physical activity levels. Parents may help younger children with diary and questionnaire completion. The study includes an advisory group of children and parents affected by inherited arrhythmias to assist with study design and sharing results. The total observation involves initial testing followed by two weeks of activity monitoring and questionnaires.

Evaluation of Exercise Testing and Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents Living With Inherited Arrhythmias