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Updated: May 30, 2026

Dual Test Gas Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity Measurement During Exercise in Humans Using the Single-Breath Method
Published on: February 2, 2024
Exercise intolerance and chronotropic impairment-The long-term cardiovascular sequelae of mustard gas exposure: A
Gholam Reza Rezaian1, Ali Emad, Mohammad Ali Ghayumi
1Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Background:
Although there are some data regarding the pulmonary manifestations of mustard gas exposure, little is known about its cardiovascular sequelae.
Methods:
The spirometric and exercise tolerance test results of two groups of patients with chronic bronchitis one with (group A) and one without (group B) previous exposure to mustard gas and a group of veterans with no bronchitis (group C) were compared.
Results:
The exercise capacity was similar in groups "A" and "B" patients. Both groups, showed a remarkable impairment of exercise capacity (p<0.001) compared to the group "C" individuals. Although the mean resting heart rate was significantly higher in group "A" patients than group "B" individuals (p=0.01), their mean peak exercise heart rate was significantly lower (p=0.01). Both groups, however, achieved a significant lower peak exercise heart rates, compared to the group "C" subjects (p<0.001).
Conclusion:
Mustard gas exposure can limit the exercise capacity and abolish the normally expected chronotropic response to exercise.
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