Combined effect of left ventricular ejection fraction and obesity on sedentary behavior in patients with coronary artery disease

Sedentary behavior has been associated with poor adherence to treatment in patients with coronary artery disease. Low left ventricular ejection fraction and obesity have been separately linked to increased sedentary behavior in patients with coronary artery disease. However, the combined effect of low left ventricular ejection fraction and obesity on sedentary behavior in patients with coronary artery disease has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the combined influence of left ventricular ejection fraction and obesity on sedentary behavior in patients with coronary artery disease. This descriptive cross-sectional study enrolled 200 inpatients aged ≥ 20 years who were diagnosed with coronary artery disease at a tertiary hospital in Korea between March and August 2022. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the combined effect of left ventricular ejection fraction and obesity on sedentary behavior in patients with coronary artery disease. Among the 111 patients with sedentary behavior, 38 (34.2%) had both low left ventricular ejection fraction and obesity, whereas only 11 (12.4%) of the 89 patients without sedentary behavior had both low left ventricular ejection fraction and obesity. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, patients with coronary artery disease who had both low left ventricular ejection fraction and obesity had the highest risk of sedentary behavior compared to those without either low left ventricular ejection fraction or obesity (odds ratio = 13.98, 95% confidence interval = 5.19–37.69, P < .001). The co-existence of low left ventricular ejection fraction and obesity in patients with coronary artery disease may be associated with sedentary behavior. Therefore, evaluating both left ventricular ejection fraction and obesity when assessing sedentary behavior in patients with coronary artery disease may be valuable in implementing patient-centered approaches for the secondary prevention and management of sedentary behavior in patients with coronary artery disease. However, further prospective cohort studies with larger sample sizes are required to establish causal relationships and explore interventions to mitigate sedentary behavior in this population.