Dataset Information

Cardiorespiratory fitness measured with cardiopulmonary exercise testing and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is inversely associated with mortality in apparently healthy subjects and in some clinical populations, but evidence for the association between CRF and all-cause and/or cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in patients with established CVD is lacking. This study aimed to quantify this association.

Methods

We searched for prospective cohort studies that measured CRF with cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with CVD and that examined all-cause and CVD mortality with at least 6 months of follow-up. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using random-effect inverse-variance analyses.

Results

Data were obtained from 21 studies and included 159,352 patients diagnosed with CVD (38.1% female). Pooled HRs for all-cause and CVD mortality comparing the highest vs. lowest category of CRF were 0.42 (95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.28-0.61) and 0.27 (95%CI: 0.16-0.48), respectively. Pooled HRs per 1 metabolic equivalent (1-MET) increment were significant for all-cause mortality (HR = 0.81; 95%CI: 0.74-0.88) but not for CVD mortality (HR = 0.75; 95%CI: 0.48-1.18). Coronary artery disease patients with high CRF had a lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 0.32; 95%CI: 0.26-0.41) than did their unfit counterparts. Each 1-MET increase was associated with lower all-cause mortality risk among coronary artery disease patients (HR = 0.83; 95%CI: 0.76-0.91) but not lower among those with heart failure (HR = 0.69; 95%CI: 0.36-1.32).

Conclusion

A better CRF was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and CVD. This study supports the use of CRF as a powerful predictor of mortality in this population.

SUBMITTER: Ezzatvar Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8724619 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ImportanceAdverse cardiovascular findings associated with habitual vigorous exercise have raised new questions regarding the benefits of exercise and fitness.ObjectiveTo assess the association of all-cause mortality and cardiorespiratory fitness in patients undergoing exercise treadmill testing.Design, setting, and participantsThis retrospective cohort study enrolled patients at a tertiary care academic medical center from January 1, 1991, to December 31, 2014, with a median follow-up of 8.4 years. Data analysis was performed from April 19 to July 17, 2018. Consecutive adult patients referred for symptom-limited exercise treadmill testing were stratified by age- and sex-matched cardiorespiratory fitness into performance groups: low (<25th percentile), below average (25th-49th percentile), above average (50th-74th percentile), high (75th-97.6th percentile), and elite (?97.7th percentile).ExposuresCardiorespiratory fitness, as quantified by peak estimated metabolic equivalents on treadmill testing.Main outcomes and measuresAll-cause mortality.ResultsThe study population included 122?007 patients (mean [SD] age, 53.4?[12.6] years; 72 173 [59.2%] male). Death occurred in 13?637 patients during 1.1 million person-years of observation. Risk-adjusted all-cause mortality was inversely proportional to cardiorespiratory fitness and was lowest in elite performers (elite vs low: adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.20; 95% CI, 0.16-0.24; P?<?.001; elite vs high: adjusted HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.63-0.95; P?=?.02). The increase in all-cause mortality associated with reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (low vs elite: adjusted HR, 5.04; 95% CI, 4.10-6.20; P?<?.001; below average vs above average: adjusted HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.34-1.49; P?<?.001) was comparable to or greater than traditional clinical risk factors (coronary artery disease: adjusted HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.24-1.35; P?<?.001; smoking: adjusted HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.36-1.46; P?<?.001; diabetes: adjusted HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.34-1.46; P?<?.001). In subgroup analysis, the benefit of elite over high performance was present in patients 70 years or older (adjusted HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.52-0.98; P?=?.04) and patients with hypertension (adjusted HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.50-0.99; P?=?.05). Extreme cardiorespiratory fitness (?2 SDs above the mean for age and sex) was associated with the lowest risk-adjusted all-cause mortality compared with all other performance groups.Conclusions and relevanceCardiorespiratory fitness is inversely associated with long-term mortality with no observed upper limit of benefit. Extremely high aerobic fitness was associated with the greatest survival and was associated with benefit in older patients and those with hypertension. Cardiorespiratory fitness is a modifiable indicator of long-term mortality, and health care professionals should encourage patients to achieve and maintain high levels of fitness.

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