Physiological underpinnings of exertional dyspnoea in mild fibrosing interstitial lung disease

Abstract

The functional disturbances driving “out-of-proportion” dyspnoea in patients with fibrosing interstitial lung disease (f-ILD) showing only mild restrictive abnormalities remain poorly understood. Eighteen patients (10 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) showing preserved spirometry and mildly reduced total lung capacity (≥70% predicted) and 18 controls underwent an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test with measurements of operating lung volumes and Borg dyspnoea scores. Patients’ lower exercise tolerance was associated with higher ventilation (V̇E)/carbon dioxide (V̇CO2) compared with controls (V̇E/V̇CO2 nadir=35 ± 3 versus 29 ± 2; p < 0.001). Patients showed higher tidal volume/inspiratory capacity and lower inspiratory reserve volume at a given exercise intensity, reporting higher dyspnoea scores as a function of both work rate and V̇E. Steeper dyspnoea-work rate slopes were associated with lower lung diffusing capacity, higher V̇E/V̇CO2, and lower peak O2 uptake (p < 0.05). Heightened ventilatory demands in the setting of progressively lower capacity for tidal volume expansion on exertion largely explain higher-than-expected dyspnoea in f-ILD patients with largely preserved dynamic and “static” lung volumes at rest.