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Published on: January 28, 2020

Peak aerobic capacity predicts prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease

Steven J Keteyian1, Clinton A Brawner, Patrick D Savage

  • 1Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA. sketeyi1@hfhs.org

American Heart Journal
|July 29, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Peak oxygen consumption (Vo2) remains a strong predictor of mortality in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, even with modern treatments. Higher exercise capacity indicates a lower risk of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Preventive Medicine

Background:

  • Contemporary treatments for coronary heart disease (CHD) include statins and primary percutaneous coronary intervention.
  • The role of measured exercise capacity in assessing prognosis for CHD patients receiving modern therapy is unclear.
  • This study investigated whether peak oxygen consumption (Vo2) remains a significant predictor of mortality in CHD patients on contemporary treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if peak oxygen consumption (Vo2) is an independent predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular-specific mortality in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • To assess the prognostic value of exercise capacity in the era of advanced CHD therapies.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 2,812 patients with CHD was studied between 1996 and 2004.
  • All-cause and cardiovascular disease-specific mortality were tracked as primary end points.
  • Patients were receiving contemporary medical therapies, including beta-blockers, antiplatelet agents, and statins.

Main Results:

  • Peak oxygen consumption (Vo2) was a strong, independent predictor of all-cause mortality in both men and women with CHD.
  • Each 1 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) increase in peak Vo2 was associated with a 15% reduction in mortality risk.
  • Specific peak Vo2 thresholds identified higher and lower risk categories for men and women.

Conclusions:

  • Peak oxygen consumption (Vo2) retains its independent predictive value for mortality in patients with CHD.
  • Exercise capacity remains a crucial metric for risk assessment and prognosis in CHD management, irrespective of current preventive treatments.
Abstract

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