High Intensity Exercise for Increasing Fitness in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Although current clinical guidelines stipulate that patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy should not partake in high intensity exercise (HIE) or competitive sport due to safety concerns, there is no clear evidence to support this notion. In fact, two exercise training interventions in this population indicates that regular moderate to vigorous intensity exercise is efficacious for improving exercise capacity and cardiorespiratory fitness, and does not increase arrhythmia burden or adverse events. Moreover, moderate intensity exercise and HIE training significantly increases cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with cardiac disease. Such improvements are associated with substantial reductions in cardiovascular mortality and might outweigh the risk of adverse events in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Having a genetic cardiomyopathy does not grant immunity against lifestyle related cardiometabolic diseases and inactivity is rife in HCM patients likely due to misinformation/education. It is therefore paramount to further explore the benefits of regular moderate intensity exercise and HIE in patients with HCM for proper therapeutic management of the condition.