Case report: "A healthy woman with exertional dyspnea: Indication of a pacemaker or not?"

The selection of patients with chronotropic incompetence (CI) for cardiac pacing therapy remains challenging. Here, we present a case of a 40-year-old woman with severe exertional dyspnea. The exercise test revealed a blunted increase in the heart rate (HR) (maximum of 110 bpm). Her exercise capacity significantly improved under atrial stimulation at 170 bpm using a temporary pacing lead. Therefore, we implanted a rate-adaptive dual-chamber pacemaker with a blended sensor. During follow-up exercise capacity normalized, and she had no residual exertional dyspnea at 6 months. This case highlights the potential value for individual assessments of CI to identify clear indications for pacemaker implantation.