Age- and sex-stratified normal values for circulatory and ventilatory power during ramp exercise derived from a healthy Japanese population

Circulatory power (CP) and ventilatory power (VP), obtained by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX), have been suggested to be excellent prognostic markers for heart failure. However, the normal values of these parameters in healthy Japanese populations remain unknown; thus, we aimed to investigate these values in such a population. A total of 391 healthy Japanese participants, 20-78 years of age, underwent CPX with a cycle ergometer with ramp protocols. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate, oxygen uptake ( (sic)VO2) at peak exercise, and the slope of minute ventilation (V(sic) E) versus carbon dioxide ( (sic)VCO2) (V?E vs. (sic)VCO2 slope) were measured. CP was calculated by multiplying the peak (sic)VO2 and SBP values, and VP was calculated by dividing the peak SBP value by the V(sic)E versus (sic)VCO2 slope. For males and females, the average CP values were 6119 +/- 1280 (mean +/- standard deviation) and 4775 +/- 914 mmHg.mL/min/kg, respectively (p < 0.001). The average VP values for males and females were 8.0 +/- 1.3 and 6.9 +/- 1.3 mmHg (p < 0.001). CP decreased with age in both sexes. VP increased with age in females, with no significant change in males. We calculated the normal values for CP and VP in a healthy Japanese population. The results can contribute to the evaluation of patients' CPX results as a reference.

Automated summary

Circulatory power (CP) and ventilatory power (VP) obtained from cardiopulmonary exercise testing are valuable prognostic markers for heart failure. However, the normal values of these parameters in healthy Japanese populations are unclear. This study investigated the values of CP and VP in a cohort of 391 healthy Japanese participants, providing reference values for evaluating CPX results in patients.