Abstract 17154: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing and Prognosis in HFpEF: the Henry Ford HospITal CardioPulmonary EXercise Testing (FIT-CPX) Project

Abstract

The prognostic utility of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has received much attention. However, there are limited data on the value of CPX in patients with HF and preserved EF (HFpEF). Purpose: Among patients with HFpEF, describe the association between select CPX measures and prognosis for the composite endpoint of mortality, left ventricular assist device (LVAD), or cardiac transplant (CT). Methods: Patients with a CPX between 1997 and 2010 and confirmed HFrEF (EF ≤ 40%; n= 1,201) or HFpEF (EF ≥ 50%; n= 192) were identified. Patients with HFpEF (n= 189, age= 54 ± 14 y, 43% female, EF = 56 ± 5%) were matched (propensity score) to patients with HFrEF (n= 189, age= 54 ± 13 y, 43% female, EF = 22 ± 9%) based on age, gender, history of coronary artery disease, and body mass index. Endpoint data was obtained through 2011. The association between select CPX measures and the endpoint was assessed using Cox regression with adjustment for age, gender, EF, and beta-blocker therapy. Results: There were 53 events (28%; median follow-up = 5.1 y) among the HFpEF group and 88 events (47%; median follow-up = 3.6 y) among the HFrEF group. Results from the Cox regression analyses are shown in the Table. Percent predicted peak VO 2 was one of the best predictors of the endpoint in both HFpEF and HFrEF with similar hazard ratios. Although significantly related to the endpoint among HFrEF, V E -VCO 2 slope and peak P ET CO 2 were not significant among HFpEF. Conclusions: These data support the use of % predicted peak VO 2 to risk stratify patients with HFpEF and suggest that the prognostic utility of some CPX measures developed in HFrEF may not be relevant in HFpEF. Additional research is needed to define the association between CPX measures and prognosis specifically for patients with HFpEF.