TY - JOUR T1 - How does CHF influence the physiological and sensory responses to incremental exercise in patients with COPD? JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 44 IS - Suppl 58 SP - P2098 AU - Maria Clara Alencar AU - Flavio Arbex AU - Rita Santos AU - Gabriela Figliolino AU - Frederico Mancuso AU - Wladimir Medeiros AU - Dirceu Almeida AU - Luiz Eduardo Nery AU - Denis O'Donnell AU - J. Alberto Neder Y1 - 2014/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P2098.abstract N2 - Anecdotal evidence suggests that patients with COPD who present with heart failure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF) have poorer functional performance than their counterparts with COPD in isolation. However, no previous study has prospectively contrasted the physiological and subjective responses of COPD+HFrEF and COPD matched by the severity of airflow obstruction. Forty-four males with COPD+HFrEF and 52 age-matched patients with COPD underwent an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test. Peak exercise capacity was significantly reduced in COPD+HFrEF. This was associated with increased sub-maximal ventilatory responses and less oxy-hemoglobin desaturation (p<0.05). These patients also showed less exercise-induced decrements in inspiratory capacity; in fact, ventilation-corrected EILV/TLC values were lower in these patients. In contrast to COPD the dominant locus of symptom limitation in COPD+HFrEF was increased leg effort (Table).Table. Resting characteristics and responses to incremental exercise.* p<0.05In conclusion, excessive exercise ventilatory responses in COPD+HFrEF than FEV1-matched COPD patients were not translated into greater breathlessness scores as the former group showed less ventilatory constraints and hypoxemia. These results suggest that other mechanisms (e.g., cardiovascular, peripheral) are more relevant for worsening exercise capacity in COPD+HFrEF. ER -