A new analysis of previous research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals that smartphone apps, fitness trackers and wearable devices can help people with heart disease increase their physical activity. The meta-analysis, which included 14 clinical trials with more than 1,000 participants, found that individuals using digital tools walked nearly 1,100 more steps daily and engaged in approximately four extra minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day compared to those who did not use such technology.
Physical activity is crucial for preventing additional cardiovascular events among people with cardiovascular disease, yet many face barriers to traditional cardiac rehabilitation programs. "Many people with cardiovascular disease can’t participate in traditional cardiac rehabilitation programs because of time, distance or financial barriers," said Ajith Vemuri, Ph.D., the study’s lead author and a staff scientist in neurology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. "Smartphones and wearables are already in people’s pockets and on their wrists. When we show that these devices can effectively support routine care, we can start designing cost-effective, personalized digital interventions that reach a much wider population."
The digital interventions varied but commonly included setting personalized daily step goals, generating reminders or motivational messages, providing feedback on progress, and linking home-based rehabilitation programs to health care professionals. Some applications also incorporated gamification, coaching, and goal review to help people track their progress and adjust activity goals. "These devices are not just gadgets," added Ramin Zand, M.D., M.P.H., the study’s senior author and a professor of neurology and public health at Penn State College of Medicine. "When included in a treatment plan, they can support routine care and help patients take small yet important steps toward better cardiovascular health."
Despite the positive findings, the study noted that the digital tools did not significantly improve peak oxygen consumption or walking distance. "We noticed that these benefits occurred even though the tools varied and used simple behavior-change methods, such as self-monitoring, feedback and goal setting," said Zand. "This means that while digital programs can motivate patients to be more active, longer studies are needed to see if these changes lead to lasting improvement in fitness and overall health outcomes."
The findings align with an April 2021 American Heart Association scientific statement on Harnessing Mobile Health Technology for Secondary Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Older Adults, which noted that mobile health technology can encourage lifestyle behavior changes and medication adherence among adults with existing heart disease. Damon L. Swift, Ph.D., FAHA, immediate past-chair of the American Heart Association’s Lifestyle Physical Activity Committee, emphasized the importance of even small increases in activity. "There is a health benefit from going from inactive to somewhat active and there is reduced risk of death for even getting up to about 7,000 steps per day. Therefore, wearable technology may have a positive impact on cardiovascular disease by encouraging people to be a little more active."
The analysis reviewed studies published between January 2000 and February 2025, drawing from PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science. Participants across the 14 trials had diagnosed cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, or history of heart attack or stroke. Limitations include the lack of long-term data on sustainability of healthy habits and the predominance of coronary heart disease among participants, which may limit generalizability to other cardiovascular conditions.
