Effects of exercise position on the ventilatory responses to exercise in chronic heart failure

Patients with heart failure frequently complain of orthopnoea. The objective was to assess the ventilatory response of patients with chronic heart failure during erect and supine exercise.

Maximal incremental exercise testing with metabolic gas exchange measurements in erect and supine positions conducted in random order.

Tertiary referral centre for cardiology.

Nine patients with heart failure (aged 61.9+/-6.1 years) and 10 age matched controls (63.8+/-4.6).

Metabolic gas exchange measurements. The slope of the relation between ventilation and carbon dioxide production. Ratings of perceived breathlessness during exercise.

Oxygen consumption (VO2) and ventilation were higher during erect exercise at each stage in each group. Peak VO2 was [mean (SD)] 17.12 ml/kg/min (4.07) erect vs 12.92 (3.61) supine in the patients (P<0.01) and 22.62 (5.03) erect-supine vs 19.16 (3.78) erect (P<0.01) in the controls. Ratings of perceived exertion were higher in the patients at each stage, but unaffected by posture. There was no difference in the slope of the relation between ventilation and carbon dioxide production between erect and supine exercise 36.39 (6.12) erect vs 38.42 (8.89) supine for patients; 30.05 (4.52) vs 28.80 (3.96) for controls.

In this group of patients during exercise, there was no change in the perception of breathlessness, nor the ventilatory response to carbon dioxide production with change in posture, although peak ventilation was greater in the erect position. The sensation of breathlessness may be related to the appropriateness of the ventilatory response to exertion rather than to the absolute ventilation.