Physiological Characterization of Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry in the CanCOLD Study: Implications for Exertional Dyspnea and Exercise Intolerance.

It is increasingly recognized that adults with preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) are prone to increased morbidity. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are unknown. Evaluate the mechanisms of increased dyspnea and reduced exercise capacity in PRISm.

Physiological underpinnings of exertional dyspnoea in mild fibrosing interstitial lung disease.

The functional disturbances driving "out-of-proportion" dyspnoea in patients with fibrosing interstitial lung disease (f-ILD) showing only mild restrictive abnormalities remain poorly understood. Eighteen patients (10 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) showing preserved spirometry and mildly reduced total lung capacity (≥70% predicted) and 18 controls underwent an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test with measurements of operating lung volumes and Borg dyspnoea scores. Patients' lower exercise tolerance was associated with higher ventilation (V̇)/carbon dioxide (V̇CO) compared with controls (V̇/V̇CO nadir=35 ± 3 versus 29 ± 2; p < 0.

Neurophysiological mechanisms of exertional dyspnea in post-pulmonary embolism syndrome.

Following pulmonary embolism (PE), a third of patients develop persistent dyspnea, which is commonly termed the post-PE syndrome. The neurophysiological underpinnings of exertional dyspnea in patients with post-PE syndrome without pulmonary hypertension (PH) are unclear. Thus, the current study determined if abnormally high inspiratory neural drive (IND) due, in part, to residual pulmonary gas-exchange abnormalities, was linked to heightened exertional dyspnea and exercise limitation, in such patients.

The physiology and pathophysiology of exercise hyperpnea.

In health, the near-eucapnic, highly efficient hyperpnea during mild-to-moderate intensity exercise is driven by three obligatory contributions, namely, feedforward central command from supra-medullary locomotor centers, feedback from limb muscle afferents, and respiratory CO exchange (V̇CO). Inhibiting each of these stimuli during exercise elicits a reduction in hyperpnea even in the continuing presence of the other major stimuli. However, the relative contribution of each stimulus to the hyperpnea remains unknown as does the means by which V̇CO2 is sensed.

Using Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing to Understand Dyspnea and Exercise Intolerance in Respiratory Disease.

A cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is ideally suited to quantify exercise tolerance and evaluate the pathophysiological mechanism(s) of dyspnea and exercise limitation in people with chronic respiratory disease. Although there are several statements on CPET and many outstanding resources detailing the cardiorespiratory and perceptual responses to exercise, limited information is available to support the health care provider in conducting a practical CPET evaluation. This article provides the health care provider with practical and timely information on how to use CPET data to understand dyspnea and exercise intolerance in people with chronic respiratory diseases.

Elevated exercise ventilation in mild COPD is not linked to enhanced central chemosensitivity.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine if altered central chemoreceptor characteristics contributed to the elevated ventilation relative to carbon dioxide production (V̇/V̇CO) response during exercise in mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Twenty-nine mild COPD and 19 healthy age-matched control participants undertook lung function testing followed by symptom-limited incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing . On a separate day, basal (non-chemoreflex) ventilation (V̇), the central chemoreflex ventilatory recruitment threshold for CO (VRTCO), and central chemoreflex sensitivity (V̇) were assessed using the modified Duffin's CO rebreathing method.