• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Cardiac responses to exercise distinguish POTS variants

Sidereal

Senior Member
Messages
4,856
Cardiac responses to exercise distinguish postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome variants.

Pianosi PT, et al. Physiol Rep. 2016.

Authors
Pianosi PT1, Schroeder DR2, Fischer PR3.

Author information
  • 1Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota pianosi.paolo@mayo.edu.
  • 2Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
  • 3Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
Citation
Physiol Rep. 2016 Nov;4(22). pii: e13040.

Abstract
We previously showed that one-third of adolescents with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) have hyperkinetic circulation. In a subsequent cohort, we compare participants with POTS grouped according to cardiac output (Q˙) versus oxygen uptake (V˙O2) function, whose circulatory response to exercise lay at the lower end of this distribution. We hypothesized that such grouping determines the circulatory response to incremental-protocol, upright, cycle ergometry by whatever blend of flow and resistance adjustments best maintains normal blood pressure.

We reviewed data on 209 POTS participants aged 10-19 years (73% female) grouped as follows: Q˙-V˙O2 < 3.20 L·min(-1) per L·min(-1) were designated low Q˙ or hypokinetic variant (N = 31); normal-Q˙ had slopes between 3.21 and 7.97; hyperkinetic participants had Q˙-V˙O2 slope >8 L·min(-1) per L·min(-1) (N = 32). Heart rate response to exercise was virtually identical in each group. Mean stroke volume (SV) rose normally in the hyperkinetic group (51 ± 38%); less in the normal Q˙ group (22 ± 27%); but was flat in the low Q˙ group (-7 ± 16%). Mean arterial pressure was similar at rest while systemic vascular conductance was flat from rest to exercise in the hypokinetic group, and by comparison rose more steeply in the normal Q˙ (P < 0.001) and in the hyperkinetic (P = 0.02) groups.

In conclusion, we identified a variant of POTS with a hypokinetic circulation maintained by a vasoconstricted state. We speculate that they cannot muster preload to augment exercise SV due to profound thoracic hypovolemia, and must resort to vasoconstriction in order to maintain perfusion pressure within working muscle.

http://physreports.physiology.org/content/4/22/e13040.long
 

halcyon

Senior Member
Messages
2,482
In conclusion, we identified a variant of POTS with a hypokinetic circulation maintained by a vasoconstricted state. We speculate that they cannot muster preload to augment exercise SV due to profound thoracic hypovolemia, and must resort to vasoconstriction in order to maintain perfusion pressure within working muscle.
AKA orthostatic hypertension type POTS I wonder?