High systolic blood pressure (SBP) has been linked to worse cardiovascular outcomes. However, emerging data suggest that in patients with heart failure (HF), low SBP correlates with increased mortality. The purpose was to examine the impact of baseline and post-exercise systolic and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), as well as pulse ...

Objective To verify the effects of exercise intensity deception by the Borg scale on the ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate (HR) and performance responses during a constant power output open-loop exercise. Methods Eight healthy men underwent a maximal incremental test on a cycle ergometer to identify the peak ...

Concurrent training is recommended for health improvement, but its acute effects on cardiovascular function are not well established. This study analyzed hemodynamics and autonomic modulation after a single session of aerobic (A), resistance (R), and concurrent (A + R) exercises. Twenty healthy subjects randomly underwent four sessions: control (C:30 min of rest), aerobic ...

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is often accompanied by renal dysfunction. Exercise training may relieve the symptomatic burden and improve the overall prognosis of CHF. In the present study, the effects of exercise training on renal function and renal aquaporin (AQP)-2 expression in CHF rats were examined to determine whether exercise ...

AIMS: We studied the prognostic significance of the ventilatory equivalent of carbon dioxide production (VEqCO(2)) at different time-points of a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) in patients with suspected heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS: The VEqCO(2) was calculated at three different time-points; VEqCO(2) (rest) was calculated following 30 s ...

BACKGROUND: Cardiac function measured as the oxygen pulse (O(2) pulse) is impaired during exercise (CPET) in patients with COPD. We investigated the relationship between handgrip force and O(2) pulse in COPD and controls. METHODS: We measured anthropometrics, lung function, respiratory muscle force, handgrip (HG) force and fat free mass (FFM) ...

In aortic stenosis (AS), left ventricular (LV) adaptation to exercise has poorly been examined. Changes in LV ejection fraction may lack accuracy in identifying the presence of intrinsic myocardial impairment. AIMS: We sought to determine the impact of aortic stenosis (AS) on left ventricular (LV) longitudinal function at exercise in ...

This study determined whether the cardiac autonomic function of adults with Down syndrome (DS) differs from that of nondisabled persons during submaximal dynamic exercise. Thirteen participants with DS and 12 nondisabled individuals performed maximal and submaximal treadmill tests with metabolic and heart rate (HR) measurements. Spectral analysis of HR variability ...

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is often used to evaluate exercise capacity in adults with congenital heart disease including women who are considering pregnancy. The relationship between cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameters and pregnancy outcome has not been defined. We conducted a multicenter retrospective observational study of women with congenital heart disease who ...

Exercise induces growth of heart muscle cells and heart size. A new report in Cell (Boström et al., 2010) suggests that mice also respond to exercise with increased cardiac myocyte proliferation, and the molecular regulators of this pathway are linked to maladaptive and pathologic responses to cardiac stresses such as pressure ...

AIMS: Myocardial contractile reserve (MCR) is a marker of myocardial viability. The impact of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) on MCR during exercise has been little studied. Our aim was to investigate the effects of CRT on global and regional MCR by exercise echocardiography. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-seven CRT responders (56% ...

Background: Diastolic heart dysfunction, responsible for dyspnoea in heart failure patients, is an important prognostic factor. Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) serve as a model of diastolic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Aim: To quantify diastolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and elevation of pulmonary capillary wedge pressures (PCWP) in ...

The influence of regular exercise on cardiac remodeling after aortic valve replacement (AVR) is virtually unknown. The case is reported of a 49-year-old male patient who had undergone biological valve replacement for severe aortic regurgitation with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; 45%) and massive left ventricular dilation (left ventricular ...

The endurance time (T(end)) during constant-workrate cycling exercise (CET) is highly variable in COPD. We investigated pulmonary and physiological variables that may contribute to these variations in T(end). Ninety-two patients with COPD completed a CET performed at 80% of peak workrate capacity (W(peak)). Patients were divided into tertiles of T(end) ...

Symptom development represents one of the most important indications for surgical intervention in patients with significant valvular heart disease. Exercise testing has an established role in the assessment of exercise capacity and symptomatic status in patients with severe valvular heart disease who claim to be asymptomatic. In these patients, clinical ...

Despite its efficacy and cost-effectiveness, exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation is undertaken by less than one-third of clinically eligible cardiac patients in every country for which data is available. Reasons for non-participation include the unavailability of hospital-based rehabilitation programs, or excessive travel time and distance. For this reason, there have been calls ...

We present a case that demonstrates the rare occurrence of type 1 second-degree atrioventricular block (Wenckebach or Mobitz type 1 block) as a result of block in the infranodal conduction system. This extremely rare occurrence often predicts progression to complete heart block and necessitates cardiac pacing. It also demonstrates the ...

Aims. Several mechanisms can be involved in the development of exercise intolerance in patients with heart failure despite normal left ventricular ejection fraction (HFNEF) and may include impairment of left ventricular (LV) stiffness. We therefore investigated the influence of LV stiffness, determined by pressure-volume loop analysis obtained by conductance catheterization, ...

We sought to investigate the effect of moderate physical exercise on left ventricular mass, exercise tolerance and blood pressure response during treadmill testing, in middle-aged pre-hypertensive and mildly hypertensive men without any evidence of coronary heart disease. Forty of 52 male borderline and mildly hypertensive subjects (mean age 53 ± ...

Background: The key to increase the percentage of cardiac patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation is to follow a welldesigned exercise programme at home. To maximise the benefits while minimising the risks of aggravating health status, home-based exercise should be tele-monitored. Aim: To compare the effects on physical capacity and sympatho-vagal balance ...

A 53-year-old man with depressed ejection fraction (EF) of 35% and QRS width of 88 ms at rest was admitted to our institution with a complaint of exertional chest discomfort and dyspnea. During treadmill exercise, left bundle-branch block (LBBB) with a QRS width of 152 ms occurred at a heart ...

While several studies have identified the anaerobic threshold (AT) through the responses of blood lactate, ventilation and blood glucose others have suggested the response of the heart rate variability (HRV) as a method to identify the AT in young healthy individuals. However, the validity of HRV in estimating the lactate ...

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) has been a useful tool to evaluate of resting right ventricular (RV) function; however, the response of the RV to exercise has not been well established. This study attempts to determine RV mechanics at rest and immediately after exercise in healthy subjects using TDI and to ...

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to test the effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on left ventricular (LV) systolic function in chronic heart failure (HF) due to nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM). BACKGROUND: One hundred thirty-three patients with NICM and minimal symptoms on standard therapy were randomized to 2 g ...

The present study evaluated the impact of moderate exercise training on the cardiac tolerance to acute pressure overload. Male Wistar rats were randomly submitted to exercise training or sedentary lifestyle for 14 weeks. At the end of this period, the animals were anaesthetized, mechanically ventilated and submitted to hemodynamic evaluation ...

Aims The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of exercise on dyssynchrony in patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Methods and results Sixty patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35% were studied. Interventricular mechanical delay (IVMD), intraventricular mechanical delay [Ts-(lateral-septal)], and left ventricular filling ratio were ...

Aims Total cosine R-to-T (TCRT) measured from the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) reflects the spatial relationship between depolarization and repolarization wavefronts and a low TCRT value is a marker of poor prognosis. We tested the hypothesis that measurement of TCRT or QRS/T angle from exercise ECG would provide even more ...

The heart has the ability to grow in size in response to exercise, but little is known about the transcriptional mechanisms underlying physiological hypertrophy. Adult cardiomyocytes have also recently been proven to hold the potential for proliferation, a process that could be of great importance for regenerative medicine. Using a ...

Cardiac lipid accumulation is associated with decreased cardiac function and energy status (PCr/ATP). It has been suggested that elevated plasma fatty acid (FA) concentrations are responsible for the cardiac lipid accumulation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate if elevating plasma FA concentrations by exercise results in ...

BACKGROUND: Failure of the heart rate to rise normally during an incremental exercise test is termed chronotropic incompetence (CI). It is common in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), and we wanted to explore the relation between CI and outcome in unselected patients with CHF. METHODS: 411 patients with left ...

Background. Changes in peripheral muscle in heart failure lead to a shift from aerobic to early anaerobic metabolism during exercise leading to ergoreflex overactivation and exaggerated hyperventilation evaluated by the VE/VCO(2) slope. Methods. 50 patients (38 males, 59 ± 12 years) performed cardio-pulmonary exercise test with gaz exchange measurement and ...

Recent clinical studies suggest that endurance sports may promote cardiac arrhythmias. The aim of this study was to use an animal model to evaluate whether sustained intensive exercise training induces potentially adverse myocardial remodeling and thus creates a potential substrate for arrhythmias. Male Wistar rats were conditioned to run vigorously ...

In this review, the physiological rationale for atrioventricular and interventricular delay optimization of cardiac resynchronization therapy is discussed including the influence of exercise and long-term cardiac resynchronization therapy. The broad spectrum of both invasive and non-invasive optimization methods is reviewed with critical appraisal of the literature. Although the spectrum of ...

Conduction system disease and beta-blocker therapy are both common among heart failure (HF) patients and contribute to increasing reliance on paced rhythms. We hypothesized that many HF patients dependent on pacing have suboptimal heart rate responses and associated limitations in exercise capacity. We studied 122 HF patients (left ventricular ejection ...

Objective: In addition to early mobilisation, a variety of breathing exercises are used to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery. The optimal duration of the treatment is not well evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 30 versus 10 deep breaths hourly, while awake, ...

Aging impairs function in the nonischemic heart and is associated with mechanical remodeling. This process includes accumulation of collagen (i.e., fibrosis) and dysregulation of active matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Exercise training (ET) improves cardiac function, but the pathways of protection remain poorly understood. Young (3 mo) and old (31 mo) FBNF1 ...

  LQT1 subtype of long QT syndrome is characterized by defective I(Ks) , which is intrinsically stronger in the epicardium than in the midmyocardial region. Electrocardiographic QT peak and QT end intervals may reflect complete repolarization of epicardium and midmyocardial region of the ventricular wall, respectively. Repolarization abnormalities in LQT1 ...

The response of transverse (T)-tubules to exercise training in health and disease remains unclear. Therefore, we studied the effect of exercise training on the density and spacing of left ventricle cardiomyocyte T-tubules in normal and remodeled hearts that associate with detubulation, by confocal laser scanning microscopy. First, exercise training in ...

In this paper, an approach for heart rate variability analysis during exercise stress testing is proposed based on the integral pulse frequency modulation (IPFM) model, where a time-varying threshold is included to account for the nonstationary mean heart rate. The proposed technique allows the estimation of the autonomic nervous system ...

Doxorubicin (DOX) and goserelin acetate (GA), when administered individually, can lead to impaired cardiac function via different mechanisms. Combining GA and DOX (GA + DOX), however, could potentially exacerbate cardiac dysfunction when compared to GA and DOX treatments administered individually. Therefore, the first purpose of this study was to investigate the effects ...

The benefit of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) over exercise ECG stress testing alone is unclear in individuals attaining a workload of ≥10 METS. The purpose of this prospective study is to determine mortality and nonfatal cardiac events in patients at either intermediate pretest risk for CAD or patients with known ...

Musculoskeletal and cardiovascular deconditioning occurring in long-term spaceflight gives rise to the needs to develop new strategies to counteract these adverse effects. Short-arm centrifuge combined with ergometer has been proposed as a strategy to counteract adverse effects of microgravity. This study sought to investigate whether the combination of short-arm centrifuge ...

The authors report the case of a 64-year-old patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with latent obstruction. The patient complained of fatigue but the left ventricular outflow gradient at rest was not significant. He underwent exercise echocardiography that was stopped after 3 minutes due to exhaustion. The gradient at peak workload was ...

Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) detection of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) to identify asthma has good specificity but rather low sensitivity. The aim was to test whether sensitivity may be improved by measuring respiratory resistance (Rrs) by the forced oscillation technique (FOT). Forty-seven asthmatic and 50 control children (5-12 ...

Background and aim: Pattern of heart rate (HR) changes during exercise and recovery is deranged in patients with cardiovascular disease, being considered as an independent predictor of poor outcome. This issue has been poorly examined in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), particularly in the early stages of this syndrome. ...

INTRODUCTION: Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis is predictive of cardiac death, especially due to sudden death. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of aerobic training during hemodialysis on HRV and left ventricular function in ESRD patients. METHODS: Twenty two patients were ...

Heart rate recovery (HRR) after treadmill exercise testing is an index of cardiac autonomic activity in non-disabled persons, but it is unknown if this is also the case in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). We investigated the relationship between HRR after maximal arm exercise testing and resting autonomic activity ...

PURPOSE: Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is characterized by excessive tachycardia in the upright position. To test the hypothesis that patients with POTS have impaired arterial-cardiac baroreflex function, while exercise training normalizes the baroreflex function in these patients. METHODS: Seventeen POTS patients aged 27 ± 9 (mean ± SD) years underwent an exercise training ...

Evaluation of: Gulati M, Shaw LJ, Thisted RA, Black HR, Bairey Merz CN, Arnsdorf MF: Heart rate response to exercise stress testing in asymptomatic women: The St. James Women Take Heart Project. Circulation 122, 130-137 (2010). Peak heart rate achieved with exercise in 5437 asymptomatic women submitted to symptom-limited exercise ...

Although the importance of cysteinyl leukotrienes (Cys-LTs) in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is supported by various sources of evidence, how the concentration of these mediators change during the development of EIB has not been investigated. Our goal was to determine the effect of exercise on the concentration of airway Cys-LT in ...