Leisure activities and sports in younger pacemaker patients
Mickley, H.; Petersen, J.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 151(42): 2713-2715
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 2815389 Document Number: 343289
Based on a semistructured questionnaire the consequences of pacemaker treatment on leisure activities in 81 patients aged 20 to 60 years were investigated. At follow up after an average of 33.8 months, 36 of the 72 survivors participated in the following out-of-the-home physical activities: Badminton (3), bicycle-riding (6), firefighting (1), fishing (3), golf (2), gymnastics (3), handball (1), hunting (4), riding (1), running/jogging (4), sailing (5), shooting (2), skiing (3), soccer (5), swimming (1), theatre (1), chorus (1), and tennis (2). No significant changes in the levels of activity before and after pacemaker implantation were observed. Twenty of the patients did not feel that the pacemaker had affected their levels of physical activity while ten patients experienced improvement in their physical capacities. Six patients felt that the pleasure in performing their favourite sport was restricted mianly due to fear of damaging the battery. Fifteen patients (21%) were members of sport clubs. These results imply that several leisure activities are available for pacemaker patients. In case a particular sport is of interest, this should be taken into account when the siting of the pacemaker battery is decided.