The Cardiac Output in Chronic Cor Pulmonale

A comparative study was made of the resting cardiac index in 12 cases of chronic cor pulmonale, in 14 normal subjects, and in 10 patients suffering from heart failure due to vascular or valvular disease. The mean cardiac index in the subjects with chronic cor pulmonale was significantly higher than in the group with other types of heart disease and was significantly lower than in the normal individuals. An explanation for the failure to observe elevation of cardiac output in some of these cases of chronic cor pulmonale is offered.