TABLE 3

Assessment during stepwise exercise

	Lowlanders	Highlanders	Between group difference	p-value
Subjects	22	52
S_pO₂ %
Baseline	96±2	91±3	−5 (−6 to −4)	<0.001
End-exercise	95±1	89±3	−6 (−8 to −5)	<0.001
End-exercise−baseline	−0.4±1.1	−1.4±2.9	−1.0 (−2.2 to 0.3)	0.133
Heart rate beats·min⁻¹
Baseline	77±13	82±12	5 (−2 to 11)	0.137
End-exercise	101±15	110±14	9 (2 to 16)	0.012
End-exercise−baseline	24±15	28±13	−4 (−2 to 11)	0.185
TRPG mmHg
Baseline	13.9±4.2	22.8±5.5	8.9 (6.3 to 11.5)	<0.001
End-exercise	20.0±7.4	36.4±12.2	16.4 (10.8 to 21.9)	<0.001
End-exercise−baseline	6.1±4.8	13.6±10.5	7.5 (2.8 to 12.2)	0.002
Cardiac index L·min·m⁻²
Baseline	1.98±0.47	2.36±0.58	−0.38 (−0.66 to −0.09)	0.011
End-exercise	4.00±1.17	4.14±0.78	−0.14 (−0.62 to 0.34)	0.566
End-exercise−baseline	2.02±0.89	1.78±0.61	0.24 (−0.13 to 0.61)	0.206
SVI L·min·m⁻²
Baseline	26.0±5.4	29.2±6.8	−3.3 (−6.6 to 0.1)	0.055
End-exercise	38.6±6.6	37.8±6.3	0.8 (−2.5 to 4.1)	0.634
End-exercise−baseline	12.6±3.7	9.3±7.5	3.4 (0.0 to 6.8)	0.052
TAPSE cm
Baseline	2.1±0.3	1.9±0.4	−0.1 (−0.3 to 0.1)	0.153
End-exercise	2.7±0.4	2.5±0.5	−0.2 (−0.4 to 0.1)	0.163
End-exercise−baseline	0.6±0.4	0.6±0.4	0.0 (−0.2 to 0.2)	0.739
FAC %
Baseline	42.7±5.5	41.7±8.1	1.0 (−6.3 to 4.2)	0.691
End-exercise	50.0±7.0	44.0±7.7	−6.0 (−11.3 to −0.8)	0.024
End-exercise−baseline	7.8±7.5	3.9±12.0	−3.9 (−12.7 to 5.0)	0.380
RVEDA cm²
Baseline	13.4±2.2	18.1±3.7	4.7 (2.4 to 7.1)	<0.001
End-exercise	17.6±2.7	19.5±3.4	1.8 (−0.4 to 4.1)	0.112
End-exercise−baseline	3.5±1.8	1.8±4.3	−1.7 (−4.7 to 1.4)	0.275
RVESA cm²
Baseline	7.7±18	10.6±2.9	2.9 (1.0 to 4.8)	0.003
End-exercise	8.9±2.5	10.9±2.2	2.0 (0.4 to 3.6)	0.014
End-exercise−baseline	0.6±1.3	0.2±3.1	−0.4 (−2.6 to 1.8)	0.707
TAPSE/TRPG mm·mmHg⁻¹
Baseline	1.6±0.5	0.9±0.1	−0.7 (−0.9 to −0.4)	<0.001
End-exercise	1.6±0.8	0.8±0.3	−0.8 (−1.0 to −0.5)	<0.001
End-exercise−baseline	−0.1±0.4	−0.1±0.3	−0.01 (−0.20 to 0.18)	0.901
TAPSE/sPAP mm·mmHg⁻¹
Baseline	1.1±0.3	0.7±0.2	−0.39 (−0.52 to −0.26)	<0.001
End-exercise	1.2±0.5	0.7±0.3	−0.50 (−0.67 to −0.34)	<0.001
End-exercise−baseline	−0.01±0.26	−0.06±0.23	−0.04 (−0.17 to 0.09)	0.515
BPs mmHg
Baseline	104±19	112±15	7 (−1 to 15)	0.094
End-exercise	123±20	133±23	9 (−2 to 20)	0.095
End-exercise−baseline	19±12	21±17	2 (−6 to 10)	0.579
BPd mmHg
Baseline	70±11	77±10	7 (1 to 12)	0.015
End-exercise	68±14	78±13	10 (3 to 17)	0.004
End-exercise−baseline	−2±8	2±12	4 (−2 to 9)	0.191

Data are presented as n, mean±sd or mean difference (95% CI), unless otherwise stated.

Baseline: baseline upright on cycle ergometer; end-exercise: values at end exercise; S_pO₂: oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry; TRPG: tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient; SVI: stroke volume index; TAPSE: tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion; FAC: fractional area change; RVEDA: right ventricle end-diastolic area; RVESA: right ventricle end-systolic area; sPAP: systolic pulmonary artery pressure; BPs: blood pressure systolic; BPd: blood pressure diastolic.