Cardiopulmonary exercise response at high altitude in patients with congenital heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: An increasing number of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) engage in physical activities and may exercise at high altitudes (HA). The physiological adaptations required at HA and their implications on individuals with CHD, especially during exercise, remain underexplored. This systematic review aims to investigate cardiopulmonary exercise responses to short-term HA exposure in individuals with CHD.

Overshoot of the Respiratory Exchange Ratio during Recovery from Maximal Exercise Testing in Young Patients with Congenital Heart Disease.

Introduction: The overshoot of the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) after exercise is reduced in patients with heart failure.

Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the presence of this phenomenon in young patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), who generally present reduced cardiorespiratory fitness.

Methods: In this retrospective study, patients with CHD underwent a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) assessing the RER recovery parameters: the RER at peak exercise, the maximum RER value reached during recovery, the magnitude of the RER overshoot and the linear slope of the RER increase after the end of the exercise.