Resting respiratory variables and exercise capacity in adult patients with cystic fibrosis

Perpati, G.; Nanas, S.; Pouliou, E.; Dionyssopoulou, V.; Stefanatou, E.; Armeniakou, E.; Papamichalopoulos, A.; Roussos, Ch.

doi:10.1016/j.rmed.2010.05.016

« Previous Next »Respiratory Medicine
Volume 104, Issue 10 , Pages 1444-1449, October 2010

Resting respiratory variables and exercise capacity in adult patients with cystic fibrosis

G. Perpati
- Cystic Fibrosis Outpatient Clinic, Athens Chest Hospital, Mesogion 152, Athens, Greece
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +30 6936537116.
S. Nanas
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
E. Pouliou
- Cystic Fibrosis Outpatient Clinic, Athens Chest Hospital, Mesogion 152, Athens, Greece
V. Dionyssopoulou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
E. Stefanatou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
E. Armeniakou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
A. Papamichalopoulos
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
Ch. Roussos
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece

Received 15 April 2009; accepted 25 May 2010. published online 02 July 2010.

Summary

Introduction

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-limiting, recessively inherited disease in the white population, associated with significantly high morbidity and mortality rates; CF pulmonary disease, assessed by pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gases and the Schwachman score, remains the most prevalent in terms of morbidity in the adult CF population.

Objectives

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between resting respiratory variables and exercise capacity in adult patients with CF.

Results

Study investigations undertaken in 18 CF patients and 11 healthy volunteers showed that among the resting lung function parameters, inspiratory capacity (IC) at rest was the only significant predictor of VO₂ peak (r=0.67, p<0.007) and VO₂/t-slope (r=0.86, p<0.0001). The percentage of predicted FEV₁ in adult CF patients was 77±33% pred. vs 104±16% pred. in healthy subjects (p<0.006); the corresponding percentage of IC at rest was 82±36% pred. in patients vs 116±20% pred. in healthy (p<0.003). CF patients presented with a significantly prolonged rapid breathing after exercise (32br per minute at recovery for CF vs 22 for healthy; p<0.001), as well as a shortened inspiratory time.

Conclusion

Adult patients with CF show a limited exercise capacity with lower peak oxygen consumption and prolonged oxygen kinetics. Interestingly, decreased IC qualified as the only significant predictor of exercise capacity in our study.

Keywords: Cystic fibrosis, Rest inspiratory capacity, Exercise, VO₂ peak, VO₂/t-slope