Relationship between the oxygen uptake during cardiopulmonary exercise testing and left ventricular function in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

The relationship between exercise capacity and left ventricular function has been evaluated in 35 patients with acute myocardial infarction (34 males and 1 female; mean age 55.5 ± 7.1 years). Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was used to measure left ventricular function in the acute phase (4.9 ± 2.2 days after onset) and the chronic phase (188.5 ± 22.9 days after onset). More than 10% left ventricular dilatation from the acute phase to the chronic phase was defined as remodeling (RM) and the subjects were divided into 2 groups: RM and non-RM. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed at 1 month (1M), 3 months (3M) and 6 months (6M) after onset. In the RM group, anaerobic threshold (AT) and peak oxygen uptake (Peak ) did not change significantly. In the non-RM group, AT was 15 ± 1 (ml/min/Kg) at 1M, 16 ± 2 at 3M and 18 ± 4 at 6M. Peak was 26 ± 3 (ml/min/Kg) at 1M, 30 ± 2 at 3M and 32 ± 3 at 6M. Both parameters in the chronic phase increased significantly compared with those at 1M (p<0.002 and p<0.0001). Thus, change in exercise capacity would correlate with change in left ventricular function.