IJCS | Volume 32, Nº1, January/ February 2019

DOI: 10.5935/2359-4802.20180085 19 ORIGINAL ARTICLE International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences. 2019;32(1)19-27 Mailing Address: Liz Andréa Villela Baroncini Rua Buenos Aires, 764, ap. 601. Postal Code: 80.250-070, Batel, Curitiba, PR - Brazil. E-mail: lizavb@cardiol.br , lizandreabaroncini@hotmail.com Correlation between Exercise Stress Test and Echocardiographic Parameters in Elderly Individuals Liz Andréa Villela Baroncini, 1 C amila Varotto Baroncini, 2 Juliana Ferreira Leal 3 Pontificia Universidade Católica do Paraná, 1 Curitiba, PR - Brazil Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), 2 Curitiba, PR - Brazil Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, 3 PR, Brazil Manuscript received December 01, 2017; revised manuscript May 02, 2018; accepted July 23, 2018. Abstract Background: Maximum oxygen consumption (VO 2 max) in healthy individuals decreases approximately 10% per decade of life, and such decrease is more pronounced after the seventh decade. Objectives: To assess functional capacity of individuals aged 75 years or older, submitted to ergometric test and transthoracic echocardiogram exam, by means of metabolic equivalent (MET) and VO 2 max measurements. Methods: A total of 381 patients (205 women; 79 ± 3.7 years) were evaluated. Exclusion criteria were: presence of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction, LV diastolic dysfunction grade II and III, significant valve disease, or coronary artery disease with systolic LV dysfunction or dilatation. Associations between quantitative variables were analyzed by Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients, and comparisons of quantitative data by Student’s t-test for independent samples. Results: Increasing age was associated with a progressive decrease in the distance covered (p = 0.021), in the expected increase in HR (p < 0.001), in VO 2 max (p < 0.001), and METs (p < 0.001) in both genders. There was no correlation of exercise test parameters with the echocardiographic parameters. Conclusions: Relatively healthy older individuals, with global systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle preserved, presented a progressive decrease in their functional capacity due to their natural aging process, comorbidities related to their age range and physical deconditioning. (Int J Cardiovasc Sci. 2019;32(1)19-27) Keywords: Cardiovascular Diseases; Risk Factors; Aging; Oxygen Consumption; Exercise Test; Echocardiography/ methods; Exercise. Introduction Priebe 1 provided a sensible description of the difficulties in defining “aged patients”, since there is no clinical definition that precisely classifies elder or advanced-aged individuals. Aging is a continuous process rather than an abrupt event. As age advances, maximal aerobic capacity decreases 8 to 10% per decade in sedentary men and women, and exercise capacity decreases approximately 50% between ages 30 and 80. In addition, comorbidities such as obstructive pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular disease, obesity, arthritis, neuromuscular disease, and generalized deconditioning are more prevalent in elderly patients and should be considered before evaluating their clinical conditions, especially in relation to cardiovascular risk. 2-4 The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is high in the elderly. Although it was detected in only 1.8% of men and 1.5% of women above the age of 75, an autopsy study of 5,558 patients revealed significant CAD in 54%of women and in 72%of men above the age of 70. 5-7 Older patients require a special and careful approach. Functional capacity is evaluated by exercise tolerance in daily life and reflects the quality of biological age. Lower exercise tolerance may reflect the severity of