Coronary stenosis is a risk marker for impaired cardiac function on cardiopulmonary exercise test

Cardiac function varies in different ways in ischemic heart disease (IHD). We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of cardiac function on cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) in IHD with different coronary stenoses. Totally 614 patients with IHD were divided into non-obstructive coronary artery disease (NOCAD) (stenosis 90%) according to the coronary angiography. And 101 healthy volunteers as controls. All participants performed CPET to assess cardiac function by oxygen uptake (VO ), estimated cardiac output (CO), and heart rate (HR). Generally, the values of VO , CO, and HR in IHD were significantly lower than in healthy volunteers. Among 289 NOCAD, 132 OCAD, and 193 severe OCAD, significantly decreased values of VO , CO, HR were observed (VO peak: 16.01 ± 4.11 vs. 15.66 ± 4.14 vs. 13.33 ± 3.4 mL/min/kg; CO: 6.96 ± 2.34 vs. 6.87 ± 2.37 vs. 6.05 ± 1.79 L/min; HR: 126.44 ± 20.53 vs. 115.15 ± 18.78 vs. 109.07 ± 16.23 bpm, P