BACKGROUND The heart rate (HR) achieved at the end of an exercise test (ET) is called maximal HR and is known to have clinical and epidemiological relevance. For its correct measurement, it is necessary that the ET be truly maximal. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the influence of a history of intense physical activity and/or participation in sports competitions during youth on the maximal HR (% of age...

The aim of this study was to evaluate which parameters of preoperative spirometry and cardiopulmonary exercise test are the best predictors of postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. Ninety seven patients were prospectively and consecutively examined. All patients had preoperative maximal exercise test and dynamic spirometry. Postoperative complications an...

Exercise intolerance is the main characteristic of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The six-minute walk test (6MWT) and cardiopulmonary exercise test are widely used in assessing exercise capacity of PAH patients. Six-minute walk distance (6MWD) has been specified as the main clinical outcome in PAH and has been used as the primary end-point in many studies conducted for new PAH treatment...

Heart failure is a health problem associated with disability and mortality. Physicians may stratify the risk of adult patients with heart failure using a cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Until now, in childhood this evaluation has been poorly used. The purpose of this study is to compare the peak oxygen uptake and minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production slope among children with heart fai...

The importance of studying the pathophysiological bases and clinical correlates of exercise limitation in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is well established. Two modes of exercise testing, the 6-min walk test (6MWT) and the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), are currently proposed for diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic finalities. The 6MWT is inexpensive, feasible an...

BACKGROUND Children and adolescents with congenital heart disease often have alterations in their exercise capacity that can be evaluated by various functional testing. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the functional capacity of children and adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) with systematic review and meta-analyses. METHODS The review included observational studies, data from the first e...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the agreement between the measured peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and the VO2peak estimated by four prediction equations based on the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in chronic heart failure patients. METHOD Thirty-six chronic heart failure patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing and the 6MWT to assess their VO2peak. Four previously published equations that includ...

In this issue of Circulation, Pardaens et al 1 examine the prognostic value of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in ambulatory patients with heart failure who are screened for cardiac transplantation. The investigators failed to demonstrate any significant advantage of ventilatory data over peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2). Over the past 10 years, several investigators have attempted to refine the use o...

BACKGROUND Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) induces nighttime disturbance of arterial gases, such as carbon dioxide. However, it is still unclear whether nighttime SDB-related gas abnormality is related to respiratory dysregulation in daytime. Therefore, we examined the relationship between the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO(2)) at nighttime and the respiratory response to ex...