Estimation of Exercise Intensity and Ramp Load in Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Using the Maximum Walking Speed in Elderly Hospitalized Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome / 日本農村医学会雑誌

　　This study investigated data on cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) indices in order to estimate exercise intensity and ramp load from maximum walking speed (MWS) in elderly hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Subjects were 66 male patients hospitalized with ACS (49 young-old patients and 17 old-old patients). We measured exercise intensity by CPX using a cycle ergometer and MWS over 10 m, and examined the patients’ clinical characteristics. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to identify variables that most closely predicted exercise intensity. We then estimated the ramp load from the relationship between exercise load at anaerobic threshold and MWS. The results indicated that MWS was an independent predictor of exercise intensity in old-old patients (adjusted R²=0.278, p=0.037) but not in young-old patients. The regression formula predicted the proper ramp load to be 5 and 10 watts as MWS was less than 1.5m/s or more than 1.5m/s, respectively. MWS was related to exercise intensity and could be used to consider the ramp load in CPX in old-old male patients with ACS.