%0 Journal Article %A Kevin Forton %A Vitalie Faoro %A Robert Naeije %T Exercise stress echocardiography of the pulmonary circulation and right ventricular-arterial coupling in healthy adolescents %D 2020 %R 10.1183/13993003.congress-2020.4043 %J European Respiratory Journal %P 4043 %V 56 %N suppl 64 %X Aims: To explore the effects of sex and age in adolescents vs young or middle-aged adults on pulmonary vascular function and right ventricular-arterial (RV-PA) coupling.Methods and Results: 40 healthy adolescents (20 boys and 20 girls) aged 12-15 years were compared to 40 young adults aged 17-22 years and 40 middle-aged adults aged 30-50 years. All the subjects underwent an exercise stress echocardiography. A pulmonary vascular distensibility coefficient α was determined from multipoint pulmonary vascular pressure-flow relationships. RV-PA coupling was assessed by the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) to systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PASP) ratio. While cardiac index and mean PAP were not different, adolescents compared to young and middle-aged adults respectively had higher coefficients α (1,60 ± 0,31 %/mmHg vs 1,39 ± 0,29 %/mmHg vs 1,20 ± 0,35 %/mmHg, p<0,00001; Fig A). Adolescents and young adults compared to middle-aged adults respectively had higher TAPSE/PASP ratios at rest (1,24 ± 0,18 mm/mmHg and 1,22 ± 0,17 mm/mmHg vs 1,07 ± 0,18 mm/mmHg, p<0.008; Fig B) and at maximal exercise (0,86 ± 0,24, 0,80 ± 0,15 and 0,72 ± 0,15 mm/mmHg, p < 0.04; Fig C). There were no sex differences in α or TAPSE/PASP. Conclusion: Compared to adults, adolescents present with a sex-independent more distensible pulmonary circulation. RV-PA coupling is decreased in middle-aged adults.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 4043.This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only). %U