Exercise capacity in patients with right ventricular dysfunction in the early stage after myocardial revascularization

Background. Exercise capacity is strongly associated with morbidity, as well as all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with heart failure. Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) appears to be an independent predictor of exercise intolerance, but its influence on patients’ exercise capacitiy in the early period after myocardial revascularization remains unclear. Purpose: evaluation of exercise capacity in patients with DVD 3 months after myocardial revascularization. Methods. The research is a prospective analytical study which is part of the scientific project „ALTERICC” within the State Program 2020-2023. The research included 114 patients 3 months after myocardial revascularization by coronary artery by-pass grafting or percutaneous coronary angioplasty. They were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of RVD: Gr. RVD - 35 patients and Gr. non-RVD -79 patients. All patients were investigated by echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and 6 minute walking test (6MWT). Results. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2p) achieved by patients in the RVD group was significantly lower (1018.0±400.6 ml/min) compared to those in the non-RVD group (1243.9±336, 6 ml/min), p<0.05. VO2p related to the maximum predicted value (VO2p%) was inferior in patients with RVD (49.2±13.3% vs 58.5±15.0%), p=0.01, as well as VO2p related to body mass was lower in the RVD group (VO2p/kg - 11.9±3.9 ml/min/kg vs 14.6±4.1 ml/min/kg), p=0.01. S’ RV and TAPSE correlated positively and statistically significantly with VO2p, VO2p% and VO2p/kg. Patients with RVD performed a lower distance during 6MWT (313.5±72 m vs 338.1±65.5 m). However, the results of 6MWT correlated positively with the work rate performed during CPET and VO2p, VO2p/kg, VO2p%. Conclusion. Exercise capacity (expressed both by maximal work rate and by VO2p, VO2p/kg, VO2p%, but also by the distance performed during TM6M) was lower in patients with RVD at 3 months after myocardial revascularization