Effect of low-grade exercise on echocardiographic indexes in healthy young adults

Background: Low-grade exercise echocardiography is required in some clinical situation: however, echocardiographic data of low-grade exercise have not been available. To study the effect of low-grade exercise on echocardiographic parameters, we performed echocardiographic examination at rest and 5 minutes after 20 watts load exercise by supine bicycle ergometer. Methods: Subjects consisted of 24 young healthy volunteers (12 men and 12 women) aged 23±3 years old. Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, systolic and diastolic echo indexes, estimated pulmonary artery pressure, and right heart function including global and free wall right ventricular strain are compared between at rest and during 5 minutes exercise.Results: Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly increased by low-grade exercise. Though stroke volume, left atrial volume index, and right ventricular end-diastolic diameter were not changed, left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac output, and cardiac index increased significantly. Also, estimated peak systolic and mean pulmonary arterial pressure increased significantly. However, all the indexes were within the reported normal reference ranges. Conclusions: Although the strength of exercise is limited low for healthy young subjects, the low-grade exercise echocardiography may be a useful tool for patients with limited exercise tolerance, such as latent pulmonary hypertension in patients with collagen disease. Short duration, limited load, and easy enforcement exercise is convenient not only to patients, but also to echo-laboratory staffs. The results of this study would be useful as reference values for responses of patients with latent cardiovascular dysfunction.

bicycle ergometer

cardiac function

stress echocardiography

exercise