Heart HealthRoutine Clinical Measurements Help Estimate Fitness in Heart Failure
A study of 5,176 patients with heart failure explored whether routine clinical information could estimate peak oxygen consumption, a measure of fitness linked to survival. Researchers developed five equations using patient characteristics and, in some versions, lung function measurements. The strongest model had a correlation of 0.73 with fitness measured during an exercise test. A version using age, body mass index, resting blood pressure, heart rate, and sex achieved a correlation of 0.69 without lung testing. Both estimated and measured fitness distinguished survival outcomes around a threshold of 14 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram per minute. These equations could help clinicians assess patients when exercise testing is unavailable, but they are not proven substitutes. This abstract-only report lacks individual prediction errors, external validation details, and adjusted mortality estimates.
