Open AccessUnexplained Exertional Dyspnea Caused by Low Ventricular Filling Pressures: Results from Clinical Invasive Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
Author(s) -
Oldham William M.,
Lewis Gregory D.,
Opotowsky Alexander R.,
Waxman Aaron B.,
Systrom David M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
pulmonary circulation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.791
H-Index - 40
ISSN - 2045-8940
DOI - 10.1086/685054
Subject(s) - medicine , interquartile range , cardiology , stroke volume , pulmonary wedge pressure , cardiac output , exertion , preload , ejection fraction , pulmonary hypertension , hemodynamics , saline , anesthesia , heart failure
To determine whether low ventricular filling pressures are a clinically relevant etiology of unexplained dyspnea on exertion, a database of 619 consecutive, clinically indicated invasive cardiopulmonary exercise tests (iCPETs) was reviewed to identify patients with low maximum aerobic capacity ( V · o 2 max) due to inadequate peak cardiac output (Qtmax) with normal biventricular ejection fractions and without pulmonary hypertension (impaired: n = 49, V · o 2 max = 53% predicted [interquartile range (IQR): 47%–64%], Qtmax = 72% predicted [62%–76%]). These were compared to patients with a normal exercise response (normal: n = 28, V · o 2 max = 86% predicted [84%–97%], Qtmax = 108% predicted [97%–115%]). Before exercise, all patients received up to 2 L of intravenous normal saline to target an upright pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) of ≥5 mmHg. Despite this treatment, biventricular filling pressures at peak exercise were lower in the impaired group than in the normal group (right atrial pressure [RAP]: 6 [IQR: 5–8] vs. 9 [7–10] mmHg, P = 0.004; PCWP: 12 [10–16] vs. 17 [14–19] mmHg, P < 0.001), associated with decreased stroke volume (SV) augmentation with exercise (+13 ± 10 [standard deviation (SD)] vs. +18 ± 10 mL/m 2 , P = 0.014). A review of hemodynamic data from 23 patients with low RAP on an initial iCPET who underwent a second iCPET after saline infusion (2.0 ± 0.5 L) demonstrated that 16 of 23 patients responded with increases in Qtmax ([+24% predicted [IQR: 14%–34%]), V · o 2 max (+10% predicted [7%–12%]), and maximum SV (+26% ± 17% [SD]). These data suggest that inadequate ventricular filling related to low venous pressure is a clinically relevant cause of exercise intolerance.