Phenotyping Exercise Limitation in Systemic Sclerosis: The Use of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
The relevance of cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been analysed in a study published in "Respiration; International Review of Thoracic Diseases" Journal.
Exercise impairment is a common symptom of systemic sclerosis (SSc), a disorder which is frequently complicated by cardiopulmonary involvement.
This study's aims were:
- to define the prevalence and the potential causes of limited exercise capacity
- to study potential differences in clinical, radiological and functional characteristics and blood serology among SSc patients with exercise limitation of different etiology.
The study found out that "Low end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure and its change from rest to anaerobic threshold could discriminate between the PV, LVD and N groups, while respiratory restriction along with ventilatory inefficiency indices could differentiate the RL group from the rest."
Therefore, "combined evaluation of CPET gas exchange patterns with baseline measurements could discriminate the causes of exercise limitation among SSc patients".
The abstract can be consulted at the following link: click here
