Physical Activity in Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Recipients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the physical activity (PA) level in patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and compare PA level during the pandemic in 2020 with the year 2019. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of PA activity in individuals implanted with a CIED enrolled in the BIOTRONIK CERTITUDE Registry. Mean daily and weekly PA from January to August 2020 was compared with 2019. RESULTS: A total of 21,660 individuals met eligibility criteria, with mean age of 72.6±11.6 years, and 12,411 (57.3)% were males. A significant decline in daily PA was noted following the pandemic declaration in 2020, with a maximum mean reduction of -24.5±36.3 minutes (P<.0001) observed in April 2020 compared with 2019. PA in 2020 increased from April to May (120.6±67.4 to 129.2±70.9 min/d). PA was lower for all months in 2020 compared with 2019. The decrease in PA was observed in all prespecified groups based on age, sex, type of device, and region of the country. CONCLUSION: After the declaration of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, a significant decline in daily PA was observed in individuals with a CIED. Future investigation to establish the impact of this reduction on short and long-term cardiovascular outcomes is required.