RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Safety and Efficacy of Exercise Training in various forms of Pulmonary Hypertension JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP erj01237-2011 DO 10.1183/09031936.00123711 A1 E. GrĂ¼nig A1 M. Lichtblau A1 N. Ehlken A1 H.A. Ghofrani A1 F. Reichenberger A1 G. Staehler A1 M. Halank A1 C. Fischer A1 H-J. Seyfarth A1 H. Klose A1 A. Meyer A1 S. Sorichter A1 H. Wilkens A1 S. Rosenkranz A1 C. Opitz A1 H. Leuchte A1 G. Karger A1 R. Speich A1 C. Nagel YR 2012 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2012/01/24/09031936.00123711.abstract AB The objective of this prospective study was to assess safety and efficacy of exercise training (ET) in a large cohort of patients with different forms and World Health Organization functional classes (WHO-FC) of chronic pulmonary hypertension (PH).183 patients with PH (pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH) and PH due to respiratory or left heart diseases (PH) received ET in-hospital for 3 weeks and continued at home. Adverse events have been monitored during the in-hospital training program. Efficacy parameters were evaluated at baseline, after 3 and 15 weeks.After 3 and 15 weeks, patients significantly improved the distance walked in 6 minutes (6MWD) compared to baseline, scores of quality of life, WHO-FC, peak oxygen consumption, oxygen pulse, heart rate and systolic pulmonary artery pressure at rest and maximal workload. The improvement in 6MWD was similar in patients with different PH-forms and functional classes. Even in severely affected patients (FC-IV) ET was highly effective. Adverse events such as respiratory infections, syncope or presyncope occurred in 13% of patients.Exercise training in PH is an effective but not a completely harmless add-on therapy even in severely diseased patients and should be closely monitored.