Does Peak Oxygen Pulse Complement Peak Oxygen Uptake in Risk Stratifying Patients With Heart Failure?

There is scarce information regarding the prognostic utility of peak exercise oxygen pulse (peak O₂ pulse), a surrogate for stroke volume, in patients with heart failure (HF). From May 1994 to November 2007, 998 patients with HF underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The ability of peak oxygen uptake (VO₂) and peak O₂ pulse to predict cardiac events was examined. Peak O₂ pulse was calculated by dividing peak VO₂ by heart rate at the time peak VO₂ was achieved and was expressed in both milliliters per beat and as a percentage achieved of the age-predicted value. There were 212 cardiac events (176 deaths, 26 transplantations, and 10 left ventricular assist device implantations) over a mean of 28 ± 26 months of follow-up. Peak VO₂ and age-predicted peak O₂ pulse were demonstrated by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to be independent predictors of mortality (p 2 and age-predicted peak O₂ pulse (-1/min^-1] and 2 pulse also predicted mortality in patients in the intermediate range of peak VO₂ (10 to 14 (mL/kg^-1/min^-1)). The 3-year mortality rate for patients in this range who had age-predicted peak O₂ pulse values 2 -1/min^-1). In conclusion, age-predicted peak O₂ pulse was a strong and independent predictor of cardiac mortality and complemented peak VO₂ in predicting risk in patients with HF.