Abstract

Cardio respiratory exercise testing provides an objective measurement of aerobic exercise capacity in patients with congenital heart disease. Many patients with congenital heart disease have decreased exercise capacity despite a lack of symptoms. Patients with simple lesions tend to have better exercise capacity than those with complex lesions, but individual variation exists. The reasons for this impairment in exercise capacity cannot be explained by ventricular dysfunction alone. Chronotropic impairment, disturbances of pulmonary function and deconditioning also play a key role. In patients with congenital heart disease, cardio respiratory exercise testing has prognostic value and could be important in deciding the need for re-interventions.

Keywords: Exercise, congenital, heart, physical activity, aerobic, capacity-prognosis, low morbidity, ventricular dysfunction, Chronotropic impairment, prognostic value, musculoskeletal systems