Study Comparing Exercise Ability and Muscle Oxygen Levels in Adults After Mitral Valve Surgery to Healthy Adults

What this Trial Is About

Heart valve diseases are a major cause of illness and death, following coronary artery disease, hypertension, and heart failure. Mitral stenosis, a condition where the mitral valve narrows and restricts blood flow, leads to symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, and decreased exercise capacity. Patients often experience reduced physical activity, impaired respiratory function, and a decline in quality of life. Most prior studies focused on patients after percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty, and groups studied were not uniform. This research compares exercise capacity, muscle oxygenation, aortic stiffness, and quality of life between patients who have had mitral valve surgery for mitral stenosis and healthy individuals. It also assesses respiratory muscle strength and endurance, pulmonary function, and physical activity levels. Measurements include cardiopulmonary exercise testing, near-infrared spectroscopy for muscle oxygenation, spirometry, mouth pressure devices for respiratory strength, incremental loading tests, arteriography for aortic stiffness, physical activity monitors, and quality of life surveys. Participants undergo evaluations lasting about one year, including tests of exercise capacity, muscle and respiratory function, aortic stiffness, and physical activity monitoring. Researchers measure primary outcomes like maximal exercise capacity, muscle oxygenation, aortic stiffness, and quality of life, as well as secondary outcomes such as respiratory muscle strength and endurance, various pulmonary function parameters, and physical activity level. The study involves both patients after mitral valve intervention and healthy controls to provide comparative data on these health indicators.

Assessment of Exercise Capacity, Muscle Oxygenation and Aortic Stiffness in Patients With Mitral Stenosis