Predictive Equation for Peak Heart Rate and First Ventilatory Threshold Heart Rate in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease

Background Peak heart rate (HR peak) and first ventilatory threshold heart rate (HR VT1) guide exercise prescription formulation, but existing formulas lack accuracy in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients due to unaccounted pathophysiological differences. This study aimed to construct prediction equation for HR peak and HR VT1 in CHD patients. Methods This was a multicenter retrospective study that included 14,465 cases of cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) data from CHD patients in 20 hospitals in China. Seventy percent of the cohort was divided into a development group ( n = 10,125), and the remaining 30% served as a validation group ( n = 4340). Stepwise multiple backward regression established HR peak and HR VT1 equations, with accuracy compared to traditional formulas. Results Age, weight, resting heart rate (HR rest), CHD diagnostic category, and β‐blockers were included in the equation. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of China‐CPET‐HR peak is 9.04%, with an adjusted coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) of 0.399. For the China‐CPET‐HR VT1 formula, the MAPE is 7.32% and the adjusted R 2 is 0.509. The %HR peaks of the FOX, TANAKA, KETEYIAN, and China‐CPET‐HR peak formulas are 82 ± 11%, 79 ± 11%, 105 ± 13%, and 100 ± 11%, respectively. Conclusion Based on CPET data from CHD patients, we developed prediction equations for HR peak and HR VT1. The prediction accuracy of these equations is significantly higher than others, which helps to formulate accurate individualized exercise prescriptions and rehabilitation training guidance for CHD patients.