Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing with Right-heart Catheterization in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 1871-1877 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALLAN J. WALKEY ◽  
MICHAEL IEONG ◽  
MIR ALIKHAN ◽  
HARRISON W. FARBER

Objective.To examine the role of cardiopulmonary exercise testing with right-heart catheterization (CPET/RHC) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) with potentially multifactorial exertional limitation.Methods.This was a single-center retrospective cohort study of patients with SSc referred for CPET/RHC.Results.A total of 19 patients with SSc [subtypes: 10 limited, 5 diffuse, 1 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)/SSc overlap, and 3 with no subtype specified in the medical record] underwent CPET/RHC testing from February 2003 to February 2008. Of these patients, the primary limitations to exercise were found to be ventilatory (n = 6), deconditioning/cardiovascular (n = 6), pulmonary vascular (PVL; n = 3), and exercise-induced left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (exercise-LVDD; n = 4). No prior physical examination, pulmonary function test, imaging, or echocardiographic data reliably predicted the etiology of exercise limitation determined by CPET/RHC. Vital capacity and ventilatory equivalent for CO2 did not differ during CPET testing between PVL and exercise–LVDD, limiting the utility of CPET alone for discriminating these etiologies of dyspnea. Exercise alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient was elevated in subjects shown to have PVL [median 48 mm Hg (interquartile range 45.3, 62.0)] compared to those with exercise-LVDD [26.0 (IQR 10.6, 36.0)] and deconditioning [13.9 (IQR 4.0, 16.4); p = 0.02]. Major therapeutic changes occurred in 11/19 (58%) subjects after CPET/RHC testing.Conclusion.CPET/RHC testing in subjects with SSc and potentially multifactorial dyspnea adds potentially useful diagnostic information unavailable from noninvasive testing.

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nihal Martis ◽  
Viviane Queyrel-Moranne ◽  
David Launay ◽  
Rémi Neviere ◽  
Jean-Gabriel Fuzibet ◽  
...  

Objective.Exercise limitation in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) is often multifactorial and related to complications such as interstitial lung disease (ILD), pulmonary vasculopathy (PV), left ventricular dysfunction (LVD), and/or peripheral/muscular limitation (PML). We hypothesized that cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) could not only suggest and rank competing etiologies, but also highlight peripheral impairment.Methods.Clinical, resting pulmonary function testing, and CPET data from patients with SSc referred for exercise limitation between October 2009 and November 2015 were retrospectively analyzed in this bi-center study. Patients were categorized as having ILD, PV, LVD, and/or PML based on CPET response patterns and the diagnoses were matched with results from the reference investigations. The latter consisted of transthoracic echocardiography, chest computed tomography scan, and right heart catheterization (RHC).Results.Twenty-seven patients presented with CPET profiles consistent with ILD (n = 16), PV (n = 15), LVD (n = 5), and PML (n = 19). None of the subjects had a normal CPET profile. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between resting DLCO, on the one hand, and dead space to tidal volume ratio and alveolar–arterial gradient [P(Ai-a)O2] on the other (p < 0.005). CPET identified 90% of patients with a mean pulmonary arterial pressure at rest ≥ 21 mmHg measured by RHC (n = 10). Peak P(Ai-a)O2, taken independently from other variables, was crucial in distinguishing subjects with ILD from those without ILD (p < 0.05).Conclusion.CPET is useful for the characterization of multifactorial exercise limitation in patients with SSc and in identifying SSc-related complications such as ILD and PV. This study also identifies PML as an underestimated cause of exercise limitation.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mário Santos ◽  
Aaron B Waxman ◽  
Julie Tracy ◽  
Fariha Khalid ◽  
Alexander R Opotowsky ◽  
...  

Introduction: Supine resting right heart catheterization (srRHC) is the standard method to differentiate pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), but most such patients complain of symptoms during exercise. We hypothesized that the upright invasive exercise phenotype of patients with unexplained exertional intolerance provides a distinct and additive perspective compared with supine resting RHC in the diagnosis of PAH and HFpEF. Methods: We reviewed results of consecutive patients with unexplained effort intolerance who underwent same day sequential srRHC and invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing (iCPET) between March 2011 and October 2013. At rest, patients were classified with PAH if mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) ≥ 25 mmHg and pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP) ≤ 15 mmHg; as HFpEF if PAWP > 15 mmHg; and as normal if none of the above hemodynamic criteria were met. At peak exercise, patients were categorized as exercise-induced PAH (eiPAH), exercise HFpEF (eHFpEF), normal (eNormal), or peripheral limitation according to the criteria displayed in the table. Results: Of 255 patients, 212 (83%) had normal srRHC. Of these, 46 (22%) had an abnormal iCPET result: eiPAH (n=24), eHFpEF (n=22). A resting mPAP > 18 mmHg discriminated eiPAH reasonably well (ROC AUC: 0.75; 95%CI: 0.67-0.83). Of those with abnormal srRHC, iCPET reclassified diagnosis for 16/43 (37%). Of the 30 patients who had HFpEF by srRHC, 12 (40%) had a normal cardiac hemodynamic profile during upright maximum exercise. 4 (31%) of the 13 patients with PAH at rest had no suggestion of intrinsic pulmonary vascular disease during exercise (3 eHFpEF and 1 non-cardiac limitation) with iCPET. Conclusions: In patients with exertional intolerance, iCPET reveals hemodynamic abnormalities which are overlooked with resting RHC and reclassifies a significant subset of apparent PAH and HFpEF patients by srRHC.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (23) ◽  
pp. e13945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saiko Mizumi ◽  
Ayumi Goda ◽  
Kaori Takeuchi ◽  
Hanako Kikuchi ◽  
Takumi Inami ◽  
...  

Rheumatology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (7) ◽  
pp. 1581-1586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Santaniello ◽  
Rosa Casella ◽  
Marco Vicenzi ◽  
Irene Rota ◽  
Gaia Montanelli ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives The DETECT algorithm has been developed to identify SSc patients at risk for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) yielding high sensitivity but low specificity, and positive predictive value. We tested whether cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) could improve the performance of the DETECT screening strategy. Methods Consecutive SSc patients over a 30-month period were screened with the DETECT algorithm and positive subjects were referred for CPET before the execution of right-heart catheterization. The predictive performance of CPET on top of DETECT was evaluated and internally validated via bootstrap replicates. Results Out of 314 patients, 96 satisfied the DETECT application criteria and 54 were positive. PAH was ascertained in 17 (31.5%) and pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension in 23 (42.6%) patients. Within CPET variables, the slope of the minute ventilation to carbon dioxide production relationship (VE/VCO2 slope) had the best performance to predict PAH at right-heart catheterization [median (interquartile range) of specificity 0.778 (0.714–0.846), positive predictive value 0.636 (0.556–0.750)]; exploratory analysis on pre-capillary yielded a specificity of 0.714 (0.636–0.8) and positive predictive value of 0.714 (0.636–0.8). Conclusion In association with the DETECT algorithm, CPET may be considered as a useful tool in the workup of SSc-related pulmonary hypertension. The sequential determination of the VE/VCO2 slope in DETECT-positive subjects may reduce the number of unnecessary invasive procedures without any loss in the capability to capture PAH. This strategy had also a remarkable performance in highlighting the presence of pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension.


Respiration ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 369-377
Author(s):  
Michael Westhoff ◽  
Patric Litterst ◽  
Ralf Ewert

Background: Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is a distinct entity among fibrosing lung diseases with a high risk for lung cancer and pulmonary hypertension (PH). Notably, concomitant PH was identified as a negative prognostic indicator that could help with early diagnosis to provide important information regarding prognosis. Objectives: The current study aimed to determine whether cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) can be helpful in differentiating patients having CPFE with and without PH. Methods: Patients diagnosed with CPFE in 2 German cities (Hemer and Greifswald) over a period of 10 years were included herein. CPET parameters, such as peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2), functional dead space ventilation (VDf/VT), alveolar-arterial oxygen difference (AaDO2), arterial-end-tidal CO2 difference [P(a-ET)CO2] at peak exercise, and the minute ventilation-carbon dioxide production relationship (VE/VCO2 slope), were compared between patients with and without PH. Results: A total of 41 patients with CPET (22 with PH, 19 without PH) were analyzed. Right heart catheterization was performed in 15 of 41 patients without clinically relevant complications. Significant differences in peak VO2 (861 ± 190 vs. 1,397 ± 439 mL), VO2/kg body weight/min (10.8 ± 2.6 vs. 17.4 ± 5.2 mL), peak AaDO2 (72.3 ± 7.3 vs. 46.3 ± 14.2 mm Hg), VE/VCO2 slope (70.1 ± 31.5 vs. 39.6 ± 9.6), and peak P(a-ET)tCO2 (13.9 ± 3.5 vs. 8.1 ± 3.6 mm Hg) were observed between patients with and without PH (p < 0.001). Patients with PH had significantly higher VDf/VT at rest, VT1, and at peak exercise (65.6 ± 16.8% vs. 47.2 ± 11.6%; p < 0.001) than those without PH. A cutoff value of 44 for VE/VCO2 slope had a sensitivity and specificity of 94.7 and 72.7%, while a cutoff value of 11 mm Hg for P(a-ET)CO2 in combination with peak AaDO2 >60 mm Hg had a specificity and sensitivity of 95.5 and 84.2%, respectively. Combining peak AaDO2 >60 mm Hg with peak VO2/body weight/min <16.5 mL/kg/min provided a sensitivity and specificity of 100 and 95.5%, respectively. Conclusion: This study provided initial data on CPET among patients having CPFE with and without PH. CPET can help noninvasively detect PH and identify patients at risk. AaDO2 at peak exercise, VE/VCO2 slope, peak P(a-ET)CO2, and peak VO2 were parameters that had high sensitivity and, when combined, high specificity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
B.M.L Rocha ◽  
G.J Lopes Da Cunha ◽  
P.M.D Lopes ◽  
P.N Freitas ◽  
F Gama ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is recommended in the evaluation of selected patients with Heart Failure (HF). Notwithstanding, its prognostic significance has mainly been ascertained in those with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) &lt;40% (i.e., HFrEF). The main goal of our study was to assess the role of CPET in risk stratification of HF with mid-range (40–49%) LVEF (i.e., HFmrEF) compared to HFrEF. Methods We conducted a single-center retrospective study of consecutive patients with HF and LVEF &lt;50% who underwent CPET from 2003–2018. The primary composite endpoint of death, heart transplant or HF hospitalization was assessed. Results Overall, 404 HF patients (mean age 57±11 years, 78.2% male, 55.4% ischemic HF) were included, of whom 321 (79.5%) had HFrEF and 83 (20.5%) HFmrEF. Compared to the former, those with HFmrEF had a significantly higher mean peak oxygen uptake (pVO2) (20.2±6.1 vs 16.1±5.0 mL/kg/min; p&lt;0.001), lower median minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) [35.0 (IQR: 29.1–41.2) vs 39.0 (IQR: 32.0–47.0); p=0.002) and fewer patients with exercise oscillatory ventilation (EOV) (22.0 vs 46.3%; p&lt;0.001). Over a median follow-up of 28.7 (IQR: 13.0–92.3) months, 117 (28.9%) patients died, 53 (13.1%) underwent heart transplantation, and 134 (33.2%) had at least one HF hospitalization. In both HFmrEF and HFrEF, pVO2 &lt;12 mL/kg/min, VE/VCO2 &gt;35 and EOV identified patients at higher risk for events (all p&lt;0.05). In Cox regression multivariate analysis, pVO2 was predictive of the primary endpoint in both HFmrEF and HFrEF (HR per +1 mL/kg/min: 0.81; CI: 0.72–0.92; p=0.001; and HR per +1 mL/kg/min: 0.92; CI: 0.87–0.97; p=0.004), as was EOV (HR: 4.79; CI: 1.41–16.39; p=0.012; and HR: 2.15; CI: 1.51–3.07; p&lt;0.001). VE/VCO2, on the other hand, was predictive of events in HFrEF but not in HFmrEF (HR per unit: 1.03; CI: 1.02–1.05; p&lt;0.001; and HR per unit: 0.99; CI: 0.95–1.03; p=0.512, respectively). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that a pVO2 &gt;16.7 and &gt;15.8 mL/kg/min more accurately identified patients at lower risk for the primary endpoint (NPV: 91.2 and 60.5% for HFmrEF and HFrEF, respectively; both p&lt;0.001). Conclusions CPET is a useful tool in HFmrEF. Both pVO2 and EOV independently predicted the primary endpoint in HFmrEF and HFrEF, contrasting with VE/VCO2, which remained predictive only in latter group. Our findings strengthen the prognostic role of CPET in HF with either reduced or mid-range LVEF. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Garcia Bras ◽  
A Valentim Goncalves ◽  
J Reis ◽  
T Pereira Da Silva ◽  
R Ilhao Moreira ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is used for risk stratification in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, there is a lack of information regarding CPET prognostic power in patients under new HF therapies such as sacubitril/valsartan, Mitraclip, IV iron or SGLT2 inhibitors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of CPET parameters in a contemporary subset of patients with optimal medical and device therapy for CHF. Methods Retrospective evaluation of patients with CHF submitted to CPET in a tertiary center. Patients were followed up for 24 months for the composite endpoint of cardiac death, urgent heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device. CPET parameters, including peak oxygen consumption (pVO2) and VE/VCO2 slope, were analysed and their predictive power was measured. HF events were stratified according to cut-off values defined by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) guidelines: pVO2 of ≤12 mL/Kg/min and VE/VCO2 slope of &gt;35. Results CPET was performed in 204 patients, from 2014 to 2018. Mean age was 59 ± 13 years, 83% male, with a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 33 ± 8%, and a mean Heart Failure Survival Score of 8.6 ± 1.3. The discriminative power of CPET parameters is displayed in the Table. In patients with pVO2 ≤12 mL/Kg/min, the composite endpoint occurred in 18% of patients. A pVO2 value of ≤12 mL/Kg/min had a positive predictive power of 18% while pVO2 &gt;12 had a negative predictive power of 93%. Regarding VE/VCO2 slope &gt;35, the composite endpoint occurred in 13% of patients. A VE/VCO2 slope value of &gt;35 had a positive predictive power of 13% while VE/VCO2 slope &lt;35 had a negative predictive power or 94%. Conclusion Using ISHLT guideline cut-off values for advanced HF therapies patient selection, there was a reduced number of HF events (&lt;20%) at 24 months in patients under optimal CHF therapy. While pVO2 and VE/VCO2 slope are still valuable parameters in risk stratification, redefining cut-off values may be necessary in a modern HF population. Discriminative power of CPET parameters Parameters HR; 95% CI AUC p-value Peak VO2 0.824 (0.728-0.934) 0.781 0.001 Percent of predicted pVO2 0.942 (0.907-0.978) 0.774 0.002 VE/VCO2 slope 1.068 (1.031-1.106) 0.756 0.008 Cardiorespiratory optimal point 1.118 (1.053-1.188) 0.746 0.004 PETCO2 maximum exercise 0.854 (0.768-0.950) 0.775 0.003 Ventilatory Power 0.358 (0.176-0.728) 0.796 0.002 HR Hazard ratio, AUC: Area under the curve, PETCO2: end-tidal CO2 pressure


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