Exercise physiology in pulmonary hypertension patients with and without congenital heart disease
European Journal of Preventive Cardiology
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing allows the assessment of integrative cardiopulmonary response to exercise. The aim of the study was to better understand the exercise physiology in pulmonary arterial hypertension related to adult congenital heart disease compared to non-adult congenital heart disease patients by means of cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameters.
In pulmonary arterial hypertension-adult congenital heart disease patients, pulmonary pressure and ventilation/carbon dioxide elimination slope are higher compared to non-adult congenital heart disease pulmonary hypertension patients, while pulmonary blood flow and peak oxygen uptake are lower.
After matching patients for gender and peak oxygen uptake, pulmonary pressure and ventilation/carbon dioxide elimination remain higher in adult congenital heart disease patients, suggesting that the long-term adaptation to high pulmonary pressure, hypoxia and low pulmonary blood flow, as well as a persisting shunt has, at least partially, preserved exercise performance of pulmonary arterial hypertension-adult congenital heart disease patients.