Reduced haemodynamic coupling and exercise are associated with vascular stiffening in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Inadequate right ventricular (RV) and pulmonary arterial (PA) functional responses to exercise are important yet poorly understood features of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This study combined invasive catheterisation with echocardiography to assess RV afterload, RV function and ventricular-vascular coupling in subjects with PAH.

Methods

Twenty-six subjects with PAH were prospectively recruited to undergo right heart catheterisation and Doppler echocardiography at rest and during incremental exercise, and cardiac MRI at rest. Measurements at rest included basic haemodynamics, RV function and coupling efficiency (η). Measurements during incremental exercise included pulmonary vascular resistance (Z₀), characteristic impedance (Z_C, a me

SUBMITTER: Bellofiore A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5326695 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature