Clinical application of exercise testing in heart failure
Oikawa, K.; Koike, A.; Itoh, H.
Nihon Rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine 61(5): 796-800
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1852 PMID: 12755005 Document Number: 555711
Patients with heart failure frequently complain of fatigue and/or dyspnea during daily life. These exertional symptoms can be evaluated by the cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Peak oxygen uptake, anaerobic threshold(AT), the ratio of the increase in minute ventilation to the increase in carbon dioxide output(VE-VCO2 slope), the slope of the increase in oxygen uptake relative to the increase in work rate (delta VO2/delta WR), and the time constant of oxygen uptake (tau on) are reported to be useful to assess the severity and prognosis of heart failure patient. The information obtained from cardiopulmonary exercise testing can be used to select therapeutic option to improve both functional capacity and prognosis, and to identify patients with the greatest need for cardiac transplantation.