A review of 14 clinical trials including more than 1,000 adults found that people with cardiovascular disease who used smartphone apps and fitness trackers walked nearly 1,100 more steps and engaged in about four extra minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day compared to people not using digital technologies. The findings were published June 17, 2026, in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Physical activity is crucial for preventing additional cardiovascular events among people with cardiovascular disease, however, many people cannot participate in traditional cardiac rehabilitation programs because of time, distance or financial barriers, according to the study's lead author, Ajith Vemuri, Ph.D., a staff scientist in neurology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Digital, wearable devices and apps can support people with heart disease in their daily lives because they're practical, scalable and typically low-cost, making it possible to reach more people, the researchers said.
The meta-analysis reviewed 14 clinical trials including more than 1,000 participants with diagnosed cardiovascular disease, such as coronary heart disease, heart failure or history of heart attack or stroke. Key findings showed that compared to peers who did not use digital tools, people using smartphone apps or wearable technologies walked nearly 1,100 more steps daily and engaged in about four more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous movement per day.
Digital devices can set personalized daily step goals, generate reminders or motivational messages, give feedback on progress or link home-based rehabilitation programs to health care professionals to help guide and monitor treatment. Some applications also included gamification, coaching and goal review, allowing people to track their progress and adjust their activity goals.
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, said these tools are not just gadgets. When included in a treatment plan, they can support routine care and help patients take small yet important steps toward better cardiovascular health. However, the tools did not significantly improve peak oxygen consumption or walking distance, meaning longer studies are needed to see if these changes lead to lasting improvement in fitness and overall health outcomes.
An April 2021 American Heart Association scientific statement, Harnessing Mobile Health Technology for Secondary Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Older Adults, noted that mobile health technology can encourage lifestyle behavior changes and medication adherence among adults with existing heart disease and those who are 60 years and older.
Damon L. Swift, Ph.D., FAHA, immediate past-chair of the American Heart Association's Lifestyle Physical Activity Committee, said that research has shown fewer than one-third of people with cardiovascular disease are physically active. Combining mobile and wearable technologies with standard preventive measures provides a unique opportunity to potentially further reduce the risk of advanced cardiovascular disease or a second or third CVD event. There is a health benefit from going from inactive to somewhat active, and reduced risk of death for even getting up to about 7,000 steps per day.
Limitations of the analysis include the lack of a clear picture about sustainability of healthy habits. Also, most people in the trials had coronary heart disease, which means the results may not apply to all cardiovascular conditions. Long-term studies are needed to confirm if higher levels of physical activity and healthy habits are sustainable over time.
