Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine how often peak exercise oxygen consumption (VO2) misclassifies the severity of cardiac dysfunction in potential heart transplant candidates.
Background: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is being used to help select heart transplant candidates on the basis of the assumption that a low peak exercise VO2 indicates severe hemodynamic dysfunction and a poor prognosis. However, noncardiac factors, such as muscle deconditioning, can also influence exercise capacity. Therefore, peak exercise VO2 may overestimate the severity of cardiac dysfunction in some patients.
Methods: Hemodynamic and respiratory responses to maximal treadmill exercise were measured in 64 sequential patients undergoing evaluation for heart transplantation, all of whom had an ejection fraction < 35% and reduced peak exercise VO2 levels (mean [+/- SD] 13.3 +/- 2.7 ml/min per kg).
Results: Twenty-eight (44%) of 64 patients exhibited a reduced cardiac output response to exercise and pulmonary wedge pressure > 20 mm Hg at peak exercise, consistent with severe hemodynamic dysfunction. Twenty-three patients (36%) exhibited a normal cardiac output response to exercise but a wedge pressure > 20 mm Hg at peak exercise, suggesting moderate hemodynamic dysfunction. Thirteen patients (20%) exhibited a normal cardiac output and wedge pressure < 20 mm Hg at peak exercise, suggesting mild hemodynamic dysfunction. Despite these markedly different hemodynamic responses, all three groups exhibited similar peak exercise VO2 levels (mild dysfunction 14.2 +/- 3.5 ml/min per kg, moderate dysfunction 13.9 +/- 2.7 ml/min per kg, severe dysfunction 12.4 +/- 2.1 ml/min per kg). A peak exercise VO2 level < 14 ml/min per kg, considered to reflect severe hemodynamic dysfunction, was observed in 18 of the patients with a normal cardiac output response to exercise, whereas 7 patients with severe hemodynamic dysfunction had a peak VO2 level > 14 ml/min per kg.
Conclusions: More than 50% of potential heart transplant candidates with a reduced peak exercise VO2 level exhibit only mild or moderate hemodynamic dysfunction during exercise. Hemodynamic responses to exercise should be directly measured in potential transplant candidates to confirm severe circulatory dysfunction.