Abstract 13421: Ventricular and Arterial Elastance During Isometric Handgrip Exercise and Post-exercise Circulatory Arrest in Heart Failure With and Without Preserved Ejection Fraction

Abstract

Introduction: Isometric handgrip (IHG) training at 30% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) lowers blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Impacts of IHG exercise and post-exercise circulatory arrest (PECA), which isolates metaboreflex control, have been unclear in heart failure (HF). Purpose: To investigate the impacts of IHG exercise and PECA on ventricular-arterial stiffness and left ventricular (LV) relaxation in HF with preserved (HFpEF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods: We invasively obtained LV pressure-volume (PV) loops in 20 patients (10 HFpEF, 10 HFrEF) using conductance catheter with microtip-manometer during 3 minutes of IHG at 30%MVC and 3 minutes of PECA. Hemodynamics and LV-arterial function including LV end-systolic elastance (Ees) by the single-beat method, effective arterial elastance (Ea), and time constant of LV relaxation (Tau) were evaluated every minute. Results: At rest, HFpEF had higher LV end-systolic pressure (ESP) and lower heart rate than HFrEF with similar LV end-diastolic pressure (EDP). The coupling ratio (Ees/Ea) was greater in HFpEF than HFrEF (1.0±0.3 vs. 0.6±0.3, p<0.01). IHG for 3minutes similarly increased heart rate in HFpEF (by 10±8 bpm) and HFrEF (by 14±6 bpm). IHG also increased end-diastolic and LVESP (134±21 vs. 158±30 mmHg and 113±25 vs. 139±25 mmHg) in both groups (groupхtime effect p≥0.25). In HFpEF, Ees, Ea and Ees/Ea (1.0±0.3 vs. 1.1±0.4) were unaffected during IHG. In HFrEF, IHG induced variable increases in Ea. LV end-systolic volume and the ESPV volume-axis intercept were larger, and Ees at IHG 3 rd min was greater (1.30±0.7 vs. 3.1±2.1 mmHg/ml, p<0.01) than baseline, resulting in unchanged Ees/Ea at IHG 3 rd min (0.6±0.3 vs. 0.8±0.4, p≥0.37). Tau was prolonged only in HFrEF during IHG and was returned to the baseline value during PECA. During the first 2 minutes of PECA, LVESP was lower than that at IHG 3 rd min only in HFpEF, suggesting less metaboreflex control of blood pressure in HFpEF during IHG. Conclusions: IHG exercise at 30%MVC induced modest increases in LV end-systolic and end-diastolic pressures in HFpEF and HFrEF. Although the prolongation of LV relaxation was observed only in HFrEF, the ventricular and arterial coupling was maintained throughout the IHG exercise in both groups.