title: Sinus tachycardia is associated with impaired exercise tolerance following heart transplantation.
abstract: Sinus tachycardia often presents in heart transplantation (HTx) recipients, but data on its effect on exercise performance are limited.
  
  
  
  Based on mean heart rate (HR) value 3 months after HTx, 181 patients transplanted from 2006 to 2015 at University of Nebraska Medical Center were divided into two groups: (i) HR<95 beats/min (bpm, n=93); and (ii) HR≥95 bpm (n=88). Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) was performed 1 year after HTx.
  
  
  
  Mean HR at 3 months post-HTx was 94±11 bpm and did not change significantly at 1 year post-HTx (96±11 bpm, P=.13). HR≥95 bpm at 3 months was associated with younger donor age (OR 1.1; CI 1.0-1.1, P=.02), female donors (OR -2.4; CI 1.16-5.24 P=.02), and lack of donors' heavy alcohol use (OR -0.43; CI 0.17-0.61; P=.04). HR≥95 bpm at 3 months post-HTx was independently associated with decreased exercise capacity in metabolic equivalent (P=.008), reduced peak VO2(P=.006), and percent of predicted peak VO2(P=.002) during CPET.
  
  
  
  HR≥95 at 3 months following HTx is associated with reduced exercise tolerance in stable HTx recipients. Medical HR reduction after HTx could improve exercise performance after HTx and merits further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Heart Center, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peled
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varnado
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Lowes
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zolty
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Lyden
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Moulton
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: John Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Um
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9455-5274
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raichlin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006339:Heart Rate; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011379:Prognosis; D013616:Tachycardia, Sinus / Q000209:etiology*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: complication; heart (allograft) function/dysfunction; quality of life