Carotid arterial stiffness and its relationship to exercise intolerance in older patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction.

ABSTRACT: Heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is the dominant form of heart failure in the older population. The primary chronic symptom in HFpEF is severe exercise intolerance; however, its pathophysiology and therapy are not well understood. We tested the hypothesis that older patients with HFpEF have increased arterial stiffness beyond what occurs with normal aging and that this contributes to their severe exercise intolerance. Sixty-nine patients ≥60 years of age with HFpEF and 62 healthy volunteers (24 young healthy subjects ≤30 years and 38 older healthy subjects ≥60 years old) were examined. Carotid arterial stiffness was assessed using high-resolution ultrasound, and peak exercise oxygen consumption was measured using expired gas analysis. Peak exercise oxygen consumptio

SUBMITTER: Kitzman DW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3712338 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature