Heart rate response determines long term exercise capacity after heart transplantation.
BACKGROUND
Exercise capacity after heart transplantation (HTx) remains limited despite normal left ventricular systolic function of the allograft. Various clinical and haemodynamic parameters are predictive of exercise capacity following HTx. However, the predictive significance of chronotropic competence has not been demonstrated unequivocally despite its immediate relevance for cardiac output.


OBJECTIVE
This study assesses the predictive value of various clinical and haemodynamic parameters for exercise capacity in HTx recipients with complete chronotropic competence evolving within the first 6 postoperative months.


METHODS
51 patients were enrolled in this exercise study. Patients were included when at least >6 months after HTx and without negative chronotropic medication or factors limiting exercise capacity such as significant transplant vasculopathy or allograft rejection. Clinical parameters were obtained by chart review, haemodynamic parameters from current cardiac catheterisation, and exercise capacity was assessed by treadmill stress testing. A stepwise multiple regression model analysed the proportion of the variance explained by the predictive parameters.


RESULTS
The mean age of these 51 HTx recipients was 55.4 +/- 13.2 yrs on inclusion, 42 pts were male and the mean time interval after cardiac transplantation was 5.1 +/- 2.8 yrs. Five independent predictors explained 47.5% of the variance observed for peak exercise capacity (adjusted R2 = 0.475). In detail, heart rate response explained 31.6%, male gender 5.2%, age 4.1%, pulmonary vascular resistance 3.7%, and body-mass index 2.9%.


CONCLUSIONS
Heart rate response is one of the most important predictors of exercise capacity in HTx recipients with complete chronotropic competence and without relevant transplant vasculopathy or acute allograft rejection.
Käser
Ariane
A
Department of Cardiology, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
Martinelli
Michele
M
Feller
Martin
M
Carrel
Thierry
T
Mohacsi
Paul
P
Hullin
Roger
R
D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000601:surgery*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology