Using the Antwerp Activity Index to guide physical activity after cardiac rehabilitation
Official title: Transmural Physical Activity Monitoring and Guidance During Phase 3 Cardiac Rehabilitation: the Antwerp Activity Index
Run by University Hospital, Antwerp · NCT07211282 · Data updated 2026-11-12
We will try whether wearing a smartwatch and using the Antwerp Activity Index (AAI) helps people who finished in-hospital cardiac rehab stick to recommended physical activity and improve fitness.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 318 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University Hospital, Antwerp Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Edegem, Antwerp and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | February 17, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 2028 |
| Study ends | January 2029 |
| Registry record updated | May 6, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07211282 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults who have just completed the in-hospital phase of phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation, have a smartphone, and can give informed consent are suitable candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with high exercise risk (for example severe heart failure, very low ejection fraction), permanent atrial fibrillation, implantable cardiac devices, or who cannot read Dutch or English are unlikely to benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Participants will wear a Fitbit Versa 4 and a Polar H10 chest strap to collect continuous heart rate data for four months while an AAI activity score is calculated from those data. People will be assigned to receive AAI score feedback or usual care and the groups will be compared for adherence to physical activity recommendations and changes in cardiorespiratory fitness. At the end of follow-up participants will complete questionnaires and perform an exercise stress test to measure fitness. The trial will also compare self-reported versus objectively measured activity and include a subanalysis in a subgroup with atrial fibrillation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help patients maintain regular exercise after cardiac rehab and preserve or improve their cardiorespiratory fitness.
How similar studies have gone: Other trials using wearable heart-rate monitors and feedback have shown modest and sometimes mixed improvements in exercise adherence in cardiac populations, while the specific AAI scoring approach is novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age ≥ 18 years, 2. Patients in the last phase of phase 2 CR, 3. Having a smartphone available, 4. Being capable of signing the informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients with high-risk criteria for safe exercise participation following a cardiac event, including: 1. Ejection fraction less than 30% 2. Decrease in systolic blood pressure of more than 15 mmHg with exercise 3. Serious arrhythmias at rest or exercise-induced 4. Exercise-induced ischemia indicated by angina more than 2 mm ST segment depression on the ECG 2. Patients with severe heart failure (NYHA III-IV), 3. Patients with implantable devices (e.g. pacemakers), 4. Patients diagnosed with permanent AF, 5. Patients who do not speak and read Dutch or English, 6. Patients who have cognitive impairment (e.g. severe dementia).
Where it's running
-
University Hospital Antwerp
Edegem, Antwerp, Belgium Recruiting -
Jessa Hospital Hasselt
Hasselt, Limburg, Belgium Not yet recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Hein Heidbuchel — University Hospital, Antwerp
- Study coordinator: Christophe Buyck
- Email: christophe.buyck@uantwerpen.be
- Phone: +32 3 821 42 03
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.