High-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be just as efficacious as moderate-to-vigorous-intensity continuous training (MICT) when it comes to improving functional capacity and quality of life of patients with persistent and permanent atrial fibrillation, a new study has found.
Researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute studying the effects of various forms of exercise in patients with atrial fibrillation have published their research in JAMA Network Open, a medical journal of the American Medical Association.
The study, led by Jennifer Reed, PhD at the UOHI, also found that HIIT was not superior to MICT in improving disease-specific quality of life, resting heart rate, and physical activity levels in study participants. Both HIIT and MICT were beneficial.
For patients with atrial fibrillation, Reed and colleagues’ research suggests HIIT offers a more time-efficient option to improve physical health and quality of life.
Read the study: Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation A Randomized Clinical Trial.
To conduct an interview with the study authors from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, contact the liaison below.
Media contact
Leigh B. Morris
Communication Officer
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
613-316-6409 (cell)
lmorris@ottawaheart.ca