Objective
Aortic diseases are an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) is a potentially life-threatening disorder if not diagnosed before the development of the dissection and rupture. Heart rate recovery (HRR), defined as the rate of decline in the heart rate immediately following the cessation of exercise, is influenced by autonomic function. The aim of the present study was to assess HRR in patients with small TAA (sTAA).
Methods
A total of 19 patients with sTAA were selected from our medical records between January 2013 to December 2013. Aortic aneurysm is defined as a localized or diffuse dilatation of more than 50% normal diameter of the aorta. All patients had dilatation at ascending aortic segment and all were ≤45mm. We compared the clinical and exercise test data of these patients with 20 volunteers matched for age and sex. All exercise stress tests were treadmill stress tests using the Bruce protocol and were symptom limited or pushed to 90% of maximal heart rate in the absence of symptoms. HRR indices were calculated by subtracting first, second, and third minute heart rates from the maximal heart rate obtained during stress testing and designated as HRR1, HRR2, and HRR3.
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