Validity and repeatability of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in interstitial lung disease

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Cardiopulmonary Physiology

Background:

• Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) are vital for interstitial lung disease (ILD) management.
• Previous research has lacked comprehensive characterization of CPET validity and repeatability in ILD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fully characterize the validity and repeatability of CPET in patients diagnosed with ILD.
• To generate novel data on VO2peak repeatability for future therapeutic evaluations.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-six ILD patients underwent three CPETs.
• Validity was assessed using European Respiratory Society technical standards.
• Repeatability was determined by mean change, intraclass correlation coefficient, and typical error.

Main Results:

• 100% of participants achieving volitional exhaustion produced valid CPET results.
• VO2peak plateau was observed in ~20% of participants; secondary criteria confirmed maximal effort in most.
• Repeatability analysis showed a typical error of 20% over 3 months for those reaching volitional exhaustion.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first comprehensive characterization of CPET responses in ILD patients.
• Novel repeatability data for VO2peak in ILD are now available.
• Findings will aid in assessing disease progression and evaluating therapies targeting VO2peak.