PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Mona Lichtblau
AU  - Johannes Weidenhammer
AU  - Christian Nagel
AU  - Christine Fischer
AU  - Michael Halank
AU  - Hans Klose
AU  - Marius Hoeper
AU  - Werner Seeger
AU  - Horst Olschewski
AU  - Stefan Rosenkranz
AU  - Heinrike Wilkens
AU  - Tobias Lange
AU  - Dirk Mertens
AU  - Matthias Held
AU  - Martin Claussen
AU  - Christian Opitz
AU  - Ekkehard Grünig
AU  - Nicola Ehlken
TI  - Randomized, controlled, prospective multicenter study: Training improves peak oxygen consumption and hemodynamics in patients with chronic severe pulmonary hypertension
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 3418
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/3418.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/3418.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - Background: In this prospective, controlled, randomized study we investigated the effect of exercise and respiratory therapy on peak oxygen consumption (primary endpoint peak VO2/kg), hemodynamics at rest and during exertion and right ventricular function in patients with PH.Methods: Ninety-five patients with invasively diagnosed PH under optimized medication therapy were randomized.The training group received a 3-week training therapy with a specific exercise and respiratory therapy.Patients of the control group continued their sedentary lifestyle as before. At baseline and after 3 months patients were examined.Results: In a complete case-analysis the training group showed a significant improvement in the primary endpoint peak VO2/kg (difference baseline vs. 3 months: training +3.1±2.7 vs. control -0.2±2.3ml/min/kg, p<0.001). Furthermore, the training group showed a significant increase of cardiac index at rest (training +0.2±0.6 vs. control -0.3±0.8L/min/m2, p<0.001) and during exercise (training +1.0±1.4 vs. control -0.2±0.6L/min/m2, p=0.005) and a significant reduction of mean pulmonary arterial pressure (training -2.8±5.9 vs. control +3.9±8.0mmHg, p<0.001). Moreover the 6-minute walking distance (p=0.001), WHO-functional class (p=0.04) and the maximal workload during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (p<0.001) improved significantly in the training group.Conclusion: This prospective, randomized controlled, multicentre study showed for the first time that training might not only improve physical exercise capacity but also hemodynamics and right ventricular function in patients with pulmonary hypertension.