Key result
CPET diagnoses exercise intolerance and identifies SSc patients at high risk for developing PAH.
Why the study?
Despite the utility of CPET in diagnosing exercise intolerance and identifying risk of PAH, neither CPET nor standard SSc guidelines currently include CPET for evaluating patients with SSc.
Does cardiopulmonary exercise testing improve the diagnosis, pathophysiological assessment, and prognostic stratification of cardiovascular complications in patients with systemic sclerosis?
Does cardiopulmonary exercise testing improve the diagnosis, pathophysiological assessment, and prognostic stratification of cardiovascular complications in patients with systemic sclerosis?
This review highlights the utility of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in diagnosing exercise intolerance, screening for pulmonary arterial hypertension, and predicting prognosis in patients with systemic sclerosis, suggesting a potential role beyond current guidelines.
May support CPET for exercise intolerance assessment in systemic sclerosis; leaves open prospective validation before routine use.
Cardiac manifestations in systemic sclerosis (SSc) are variable and are associated with a poor prognosis, frequently resulting in impaired right ventricular function and heart failure. A high proportion of patients with SSc experience pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), interstitial lung disease, or myocardial involvement, all of which can lead to exercise intolerance. In this context, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a useful tool for diagnosing exercise intolerance, elucidating its pathophysiology, and assessing its prognosis. CPET can also identify patients with SSc at higher risk of developing PAH. Despite its utility, current guidelines for CPET do not include the evaluation of patients with SSc, nor do standard SSc management guidelines consider CPET in the clinical work-up. This review summarizes the development, supporting evidence, and application of CPET in assessing cardiac involvement in patients with SSc.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Giubertoni et al. (2025) conducted a review in Systemic Sclerosis. Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) was evaluated. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is a valuable non-invasive tool for diagnosing exercise intolerance, elucidating its pathophysiology, and identifying patients with systemic sclerosis at higher risk of developing pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: