Heart rate recovery in adult individuals with asthma

Abstract

Slow heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise is a predictor of overall mortality in individuals with and without cardiovascular or respiratory disorders. No data on adults with asthma are available. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the prevalence of slow HRR in these individuals as compared with those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We performed a retrospective analysis of baseline characteristics and physiological response to the six-minute walking distance test of stable individuals with asthma or COPD. Slow HRR was defined as HRpeak - HR at 1 minute after end exercise <12 bpm. Individuals with asthma walked significantly longer (median (IQR): 455 (385-512) vs 427 (345-485) meters; p=0.005) with a lower prevalence of slow HRR (30.3% vs 49.0%, respectively: p<0.001) than those with COPD. Individuals with asthma and slow HRR were older and walked less than those with normal HRR, without any difference in airway obstruction or in disease severity. Multivariate analysis showed that only the difference HRpeak - baseline HR (∆HR), was a predictor of slow HRR in both groups. More than 30% of adult individuals with asthma may show slow HRR. Only exercise ∆HR but no baseline characteristic seems to predict the occurrence of slow HRR.

Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on heart rate recovery in adult individuals with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

“…To the best of our knowledge, while confirming our previous finding that individuals with adult asthma show a lower prevalence of slow HRR than individuals with COPD ( Zampogna et al, 2022 ), this is the first study to evaluate the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on HRR in adult individuals, with asthma. In these individuals, a pulmonary rehabilitation program, including exercise training, resulted in benefits in symptoms and exercise capacity but did not significantly improve the prevalence of slow HRR.…”

“…The HRR in individuals with chronic respiratory diseases has been assessed by means of maximal exercise tests or field tests such as the six-minute walk test (6MWT) ( Rodríguez et al, 2017 ; Pereira et al, 2021 ; Zhao et al, 2021 ; Zampogna et al, 2022 ). The prevalence of slow HRR is estimated to be lower in individuals with asthma than in those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ( Zampogna et al, 2022 ).…”

“…The HRR in individuals with chronic respiratory diseases has been assessed by means of maximal exercise tests or field tests such as the six-minute walk test (6MWT) ( Rodríguez et al, 2017 ; Pereira et al, 2021 ; Zhao et al, 2021 ; Zampogna et al, 2022 ). The prevalence of slow HRR is estimated to be lower in individuals with asthma than in those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ( Zampogna et al, 2022 ). Individuals with COPD who exhibited slow HRR after the 6MWT exhibited worse exercise capacity and a more pronounced sedentary lifestyle and worse functional status than those with normal HRR ( Morita et al, 2018 ).…”