Ensuring safety of exercise training through non-invasive measurement of cardiac function: A pilot study in adults

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves exercise capacity, but frequent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is impractical. The AESCULON mini enables non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring, though its role in CR remains unclear. Eleven patients (6 myocardial infarction, 3 angina pectoris, 2 dilated cardiomyopathy) undergoing outpatient CR at the University of Tokyo Hospital were studied. Hemodynamics were measured using the AESCULON mini before and after 20 min of aerobic exercise at the anaerobic threshold. CPET and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were assessed within 2 weeks. Stroke volume, cardiac output, and cardiac index tended to increase, and thoracic fluid content (TFC) decreased post-exercise. TFC before (r = 0.767, p = 0.006) and after (r = 0.711, p = 0.014) correlated with BNP. Changes in stroke volume and cardiac output correlated with peak VO₂, percent predicted peak VO₂, and ΔVO₂/ΔWR. Patients with increased cardiac output during exercise had higher peak VO₂ and ΔVO₂/ΔWR. Non-invasive hemodynamic data from the AESCULON mini correlated with BNP and exercise capacity, suggesting its usefulness for detecting heart failure progression and estimating exercise capacity in CR.