Relationship between arterial blood gas values, pulmonary function tests and treadmill exercise testing parameters in patients with COPD.
OBJECTIVE
There have been controversial reports regarding the relationship between exercise tolerance and resting pulmonary function in patients with COPD. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between resting pulmonary function tests (rPFT) and cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameters (CETP) and their value in estimating exercise tolerance of patients.


METHODS
In total, 45 patients with COPD (nine females, 36 males; mean age 61.2 +/- 11.2) and 21 healthy subjects (four females, 17 males; mean age 60.3 +/- 9.7) as a control group were studied. COPD patients (group I) were divided into three subgroups according to their FEV(1) (mild/group II: FEV(1) 60-79% of predicted; moderate/group III: FEV(1) 40-59%; severe/group IV: FEV(1) < 40%). In controls FEV(1) was >/= 80%.


RESULTS
There were significant correlations between FEV(1) and CETP in group III (maximal O(2) consumption (mVO(2)), r= 0.35, P < 0.005; total treadmill time (TTT), r= 0.31, P < 0.01; total metabolic equivalent values (TMET), r= 0.29, P < 0.01)) and in group IV (mVO(2), r= 0.49, P < 0.001; TTT, r= 0.45, P < 0.005; TMET, r= 0.31, P < 0.01; peak heart rate (pHR), r= 0.29, P < 0.02; frequency of ventricular extrasystole (fVES), r=-0.27, P < 0.05). Additionally, in group IV there were significant correlations between PaO(2) and CETP (mVO(2), r= 0.41, P < 0.02; TTT, r= 0.38, P < 0.03; TMET, r= 0.31, P < 0.05; pHR, r= 0.29, P < 0.05; fVES, r=-0.28, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
There are significant correlations of resting FEV(1)% predicted and PaO(2) values with CETP in patients with moderate and severe COPD and these parameters may also have a role as indicators of exercise tolerance in these COPD patients.
Yazici
Mehmet
M
Department of Cardiology, Duzce Medical Faculty, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Ducze, Turkey. yazicimehmet@hotmail.com
Arbak
Peri
P
Balbay
Oner
O
Maden
Emin
E
Erbas
Mete
M
Erbilen
Enver
E
Albayrak
Sinan
S
Akdemir
Ramazan
R
Uyan
Cihangir
C
D000368:Aged; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood*; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013147:Spirometry; D014463:Ultrasonography
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen