Study Data from University of Pennsylvania Update Understanding of Heart Attack (Effect of Gamification, Financial Incentives, or Both to Increase Physical Activity Among Patients at High Risk of Cardiovascular Events: The BE ACTIVE Randomized...).

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania aimed to determine the effectiveness of behaviorally-designed gamification, loss-framed financial incentives, or a combination of both in increasing physical activity among patients at high risk of cardiovascular events. The study enrolled 1062 patients and found that all three interventions resulted in significantly greater increases in mean daily steps compared to the control group during the 12-month intervention period. The combination of gamification and financial incentives had the largest effect. These interventions could be valuable in reducing cardiovascular risk in high-risk patients. [Extracted from the article]