PURPOSE: To evaluate the cardiorespiratory response of heart transplant (HT) recipients. METHODS: Nine HT recipients (GI) underwent ergospirometric tests and were compared to 9 apparently healthy, sedentary subjects with similar sex, age, weight and height (GII). All were male patients aging 48±12 years, in functional class I (NYHA) an average of 23±21 months after HT. They were receiving cyclosporin, azathioprine, prednisone, dipyridamole and antihypertensive drugs. The tests were symptom-limited and they were interrupted due to exhaustion. RESULTS: During peak exercise, GI had a significantly lower physical performance related to lower VO2, VE, VEO2, HR, endurance time and work load. At the anaerobic threshold, VO2, endurance time and work load levels were also significantly lower in GI. The physical performance was similar between the groups in the 40W load. CONCLUSION: The cardiorespiratory performance in GI was significantly lower at peak exercise and similar to GII in the 40W load, showing the HT benefits cardiac patients during usual activities.
heart transplant; ergoespirometry; physical performance
