DETERMINANTS OF EXERCISE CAPACITY AND PERCEIVED EXERTION IN PATIENTS WITH PRESERVED LEFT VENTRICULAR SYSTOLIC FUNCTION

PURPOSE: Exercise capacity is known to be an important prognostic factor in patients with cardiovascular disease and in healthy subjects. While structural heart disease is found in a relatively small proportion, other factors are likely responsible for reduced exercise tolerance in these patients. Indices of left ventricular (LV) diastolic filling variably correlated with exercise time in select patient populations including hypertensives and the elderly. Moreover, no study has specifically addressed the contribution of LV systolic and diastolic functional abnormalities to both exercise duration and perceived effort. The objectives of the study were to determine echocardiographic correlates of exercise capacity and of perceived exertion in patients without structural heart disease.