Exercise performance and chronotropic response in heart failure patients with implantable left ventricular assist devices.

ABSTRACT

During metabolic stress testing, 9 of 20 patients with left ventricular assist devices exhibited a lag in peak device rate by < or = 85% of peak native heart rate (group I), with peak device rates of 118 +/- 9 beats/min compared with group II, in which peak device rate nearly equaled peak native rates. Peak systolic blood pressure was significantly greater in group II than group I, but there was no significant difference in peak oxygen consumption, anaerobic threshold, or peak flows.