TABLE 3.
Resting and exercise values in normal subjects and primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) patients categorised according to severity of reduction in cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) aerobic capacity
| Values | Normal# (n=20) | Mild PPH (n=3) | Moderate PPH (n=14) | Severe PPH (n=22) | Very Severe PPH (n=14) |
| Peak V′O2 % predicted range | 82–132 | 65–79 | 50–64 | 35–49 | <35 |
| Peak V′O2 % predicted | 101±19 | 70±4 | 58±4 | 42±5 | 27±4 |
| Peak V′O2 mL·min−1·kg−1 | 29.5±6.6 | 14.5±3.3 | 12.5±2.2 | 11.2±2.6 | 8.1±1.7 |
| AT % predicted | 104±16 | 85±7 | 75±10 | 57±9 | 41±7 |
| AT mL·min−1·kg−1 | 16.3±3.9 | 10.4±2.3 | 9.7±1.3 | 8.7±2.2 | 6.8±1.3 |
| Peak O2 pulse % predicted | 108±25 | 86±11 | 73±8 | 56±11 | 39±5 |
| Peak HR % predicted | 96±13 | 83±12 | 80±8 | 77±12 | 70±13 |
| ΔV′ O2 /ΔWR mL·min−1·W−1 | 9.6±0.9 | 8.3±0.5 | 7.0±1.5 | 6.0±1.0 | 5.6±1.3 |
| V′E/V′CO2 at AT % predicted | 99±12 | 142±22 | 149±21 | 161±25 | 219±76 |
| V′E/V′CO2 at AT absolute | 29±4 | 43±6 | 45±7 | 46±8 | 62±20 |
| V′E/V′CO2 slope % predicted | 88±11 | 164±49 | 148±27 | 141±32 | 215±123 |
| V′E/V′CO2 slope absolute | 25±3 | 49±14 | 45±9 | 40±10 | 60±32 |
| Peak V′E % MVV | 70±15 | 63±19 | 54±9 | 47±11 | 43±16 |
| MRT s | 12±10 | 34±9 | 37±14 | 47±13 | 64±15 |
| mPAP mmHg | 48±17 | 63±14 | 70±18 | 57±17 | |
| CO L min−1 | 5.1±1.1 | 4.4±1.4 | 3.5±1.0 | 3.8±1.2 | |
| PVR mmHg·L−1·min−1 | 8±4 | 15±8 | 18±5 | 14±6 | |
| NYHA symptom class | 2.0±0.4 | 2.5±0.5 | 2.8±0.6 | 3.3±0.4 |
V′O2: oxygen uptake; AT: anaerobic threshold; HR: heart rate; WR: work rate; V′E: minute ventilation; V′CO2: carbon dioxide production; MVV: maximum voluntary ventilation; MRT: mean response time of V′O2 during unloaded cycling; mPAP: mean pulmonary arterial pressure; CO: cardiac output; PVR: pulmonary vascular resistance; NYHA: New York Heart Association; V′E/V′CO2 slope: slope of the relationship between V′E and V′CO2; V′E/V′CO2 at AT: ratio of ventilation to carbon dioxide output at AT; ΔV′O2/ΔWR: increase in oxygen uptake per increase in work rate. #: each CPET parameter is significantly different for all PPH patients compared to that of normal control subjects (p<0.001). Data is reproduced from [20] with permission.