Hi hope everyone is keeping well.
I'm sure many of you guys have had countless CPETS like a have but I just can't understand whether this is a good result or a bad one because in my previous clinical letter it said I have a significant limitation in my exercise capacity? Any suggestions what my one is showing?
Thanks so much for your reply!
Do you think I should discuss it with my consultant or BHF nurse. Thanks for explaining everything. I probably should of added that for me that was a change in my cpet cause last time I managed 9 mins without any leg fatigue or SOB. I definitely know my VO2 has changed from last time I'll have a look just to make sure. 😉
With the caveat that I’m not medically qualified. Excellent reply from Hidden (as always!), but the only thing I wanted to add was about your lung function. Do you have a respiratory diagnosis, or is it otherwise accepted that your cardiac history impacts on lung function? I ask because my main area of knowledge is respiratory, and the two primary measures taken from spirometry testing - the fev1 and fvc - were below the threshold for normal. Both are considered normal at 80% predicted or above. Again, this may be down to a lack of practice with spirometry testing: although it’s the best we’ve currently got, it does have significant limitations, so test results should always be interpreted as being x percent or above, rather than only x percent, if that makes sense. As a stand-alone, because spirometry results are so technique dependent, they actually have very limited use: the numbers only truly come in to their own if being carried out regularly. However, if you’re not aware of a previous respiratory deficit (and the numbers are not consistent with your previous CPET), I would just raise it with a medical professional. As much out of personal curiosity as out of any concern.
My experience is that reference to exercise capacity in letters can be on the basis of subjective reporting by the individual, rather than with reference to testing or clinical data. If my daughter (who is the one with the life-long lung disease) complains of more breathlessness than usual when doing things, it goes down as limited exercise capacity in the clinic letters.
Thanks for your reply!.I also was Born with asthma aswell 👶😢. I realise should of included that.
Thanks for your reply. Yeah that is true they send my anxiety sky high that don't help they no fun doing them lol as we all know. I just wish i knew it was a good cpet probably wasn't for me I don't know but for anyone else probably sounds great I can't ever understand them letters well I guess I ain't supposed to am I 😅😢. I just worry bout everything like this just lately. What result was your cpet if you don't mind me asking 😉.
Can't believe they decided you didnt need one! Especially after having had a heart attack so sorry to hear by the way 💔. Even a minor one is a big deal in my opinion glad you were able to have a cpet sad you had to pay though that's awful 😞. I don't know if being born with it is worse than being totally fine to having a heart attack I'd say you were worse of then me been dealing with my health my whole life well mostly since I was bout 19 cause you ain't aware of the seriousness of it all when you little then you get older and they just leave ya to rot its disgraceful really when you think about it. I'm lucky to be seen once a year!
I never thought of it like that it was so last minute I had to wait around all day at the hospital for it aswell had no money to get something to eat and didn't have me inhaler with that didn't help I think all I had cause my mum put some money in my account I had some cocola and some crisps not the best choice I know and I didn't have my inhalers with me cause I'm only supposed to take in the morning and evening.
Yeah your right never thought of it like that all I saw was it was reduced exercise time but never considered what was the cause thank you. I agree stress is a major trigger for my asthma funny enough I wasn't wheezy at all after but was short of breath with me usually coincides with me being breathless the worst part of the test is the lung function part it really takes it out of me so after doing that no wonder I felt bit off blood pressure went up but went back to normal after I rested for a bit.Thanks for replying and take care sorry to hear about your mum 💔. On the subject of asthma can it affect your heart just out of interest cause my asthma nurse says its probably your heart and heart people say oh it's definitely your asthma just makes me so confused and don't know what or who to believe anymore. Sorry for ranting and going completely of topic.
Have a good night.
This was super helpful thanks so much! Your amazing at explaining everything ☺️
Brilliant analysis as usual... certainly made me think. My situation was that the restrictions in my arteries prevented my heart getting sufficient blood to my muscles. I regularly used to get a build up of lactic acid when I was out climbing hills, seriously limiting my performance. When I had stents at the time of my heart attack, my system was sufficiently improved to rid me of the problem. However, thankfully the doctor that did the angioplasty saw that I had good lungs and referred me for a bypass to further improve my system which indeed has happened. Hence climbing Munros at the age of 70 is within my capability.
Incidentally, a couple of guys I met at the rehab classes when they learnt of my case grumbled that they had only had stents and had not been refered for bypass surgery. I later found out they had respiratory issues.
I was looking at your cept with much interest as mine has the following figures. Rer 1.14 exercised for 7 minutes. AVo2 was 15. 9 ml/kg/min 58%predicted
Oxygen pulse 9.7ml 62% predicted.
Stopped due due legs hurting. But my issue is with my congenital heart disease which causes cyanosis and my o2 levels where rest 72% peak 76%. Now this was in June and after this I was put on spironolactone. My heart was good 146 beats 92% predicted. Lung capacity is good. And I was on lisinopril for blood pressure. I have to admit I don't know what normal is? And I would love to have another go to see if there is some improvements. However I have to admit even if I prepared more I might only get another minute because the bike pedals really started to get stiff. But I did not get a full report so I don't know what maximum Watts where.
Yeah the pedals aw supposed to get harder and harder to push its like your putting more effort like your cycling up hill. Sorry to hear bout your cpet sounds awful and honestly I don't know what normal is either anymore I have congenital heart disease aswell. I been on spironolactone before aswell but wasn't on it for long. They never give you a full report I don't know why that is I wish they would just explain in detail what the cpet actually means worries you sick don't it.
Take care and hope you get the full report soon. What was your lung function mine wasn't great cause I'm asthmatic.
Well my cardiologist said I could have more stents rather than a bypass op. More convenient for me and it would solve the remaining issues, but he thought I'd be better off with the bypass on account of my hill climbing activities. He even suggested the bypass might give me 25 years before further intervention was required, whereas stents would probably only give me 10 years. Nice to see he recognised I needed to do more than cope with everyday life. 😀
Well as we both have found we don't get full report but my lung function test on my wife's blow meter thing carnt remember the name, I can get nearly 650. Wife can only get about 300 and she has asthma. I remember seeing the graph in the hospital and it was high and all three attempts where high. But having a congenital issue I would not wish it on any one. Whether spironolactone helps the gas transfer by removing water I don't know if it is doing its stuff. But spironolactone is a weak duretic.
Aw you mean peakflow yeah it's always low when you asthmatic. My best one is 500 but normally ranges between 400-450. Is 300 good for your wife has she got an asthma action plan. Yeah I agree having congenital heart disease sucks innit. Oh what strength was you on I was on I was 25 mg I think. I'm not on water tablets now I'm on verapamil 40mg.
Yes she has an action plan but since the you know what virus she just answer a questionnaire. Yes congenital sucks. Especially when you find you have had it since birth and iam now in my 50s. And only now found out and coming to terms with it. the trouble with mine is that my body has compensated. That's why I live with low oxygen levels. I can get it to 90% when very relaxed. But when anxiouse and working it drops. So I become breathless. But this is the issue I was sort of breathless when younger. But assumed I was not fit. Could not do cross country running or 1500 meters. Sprinting and hurdles fine as long as it was no more than 200 meters. Had a normal child hood so never really worried. But now, my god, it has effected me mentally. The trouble with epsteins anomoly. Is that the tricuspid valve was manufactured wrong. And the right side is not pumping enough litres òf blood, out to the lungs. However the positive is I don't have heart failure. Just the right side not efficient. Left side has an ef of 51%. Considering normal is about 50 to 70%. 70% would be an athelet. So the way forward for me is to be looked after on medication. 25mg spironolactone and 25mg of lisinopril. Weather I will get more will depend. Fortunatly my electrical signals to the heart are good. But if these start to play up then possibly other medication. A chap I work with is on varapamil. I hope you get sorted. But it is not fun. And the worry is out of this world.
Can't believe it took 50 years for them to find that you had congenital heart disease. Your condition sounds so complicated. I had my aorta repaired when I was day old they had construct it out of other parts cause mine didn't develop properly. Hope your keeping well. Thank you Felly12!. I have my appointment next year November so I will have ecg and echo and probably end up talking with my consultant although I really don't see the point don't tell ya nothing these days do they 😕. Take care and enjoy your evening.
My cardiologist when to work in the States just after my op!
I suppose with modern technology alot of children are found early, these days. It is hard being on the cardiology merry go round. The trouble is that you have to carry on with life. And many people especially the mental health side say go and listen to what they say. Put your trust in them. Go with the out come and then forget and move on till next time. That's easier said than done. And to make things more interesting I have an asd. Which is what basically causes the cyanosis. But it is not a true hole in the heart but and bit leaky. Carnt be seen on echo and mri clearly but there is a leak from. Right to left. So 2022 has been quite a rubbish year. But as they say move on and fight the next battle. Take care.
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