Clinical physiology and functional imaging
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Clin Physiol Funct Imaging · May 2006
Test-retest reliability for two indices of ventilatory efficiency measured during cardiopulmonary exercise testing in healthy men and women.
The level of ventilation (VE)) at a given carbon dioxide output (CO2) determines ventilatory efficiency. During cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), ventilatory efficiency can be measured as the slope of the (VE) versus VCO2 relationship or the lowest VE/VCO2. We evaluated the test-retest reliability of these two ventilatory efficiency indices in 29 healthy subjects (14 males). ⋯ The bias (mean of difference scores between tests) and 95% limits of agreement for the VE versus VCO2 slope in the males, females, and both sexes combined were -0.05 +/- 2.41, -0.57 +/- 1.92, and -0.32 +/- 2.20, respectively. The bias and 95% limits of agreement for the lowest VE/VCO2 were very similar with values of 0.06 +/- 2.45, -0.22 +/- 2.03, and -0.10 +/- 2.27. We conclude that the test-retest reliability for the VE versus VCO2 slope and the lowest VE/VCO2 is the same and that there is no sex difference in reliability for either index of ventilatory efficiency.