PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of exercise training on ventilatory efficiency and physiological responses to submaximal exercise in subjects with small abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). METHODS: Sixty-five male patients (72.3 +/- 7.0 years) were randomized to exercise training (n = 33) or usual care group (n = 32). Exercise subjects participated in a training groups for 3 mo. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed before and after the study period and peak VO2, the ventilatory threshold (VT), the oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES), and the VE2/VCO2 slope were identified. Baseline work rates at VT were matched to examine cardiopulmonary responses after training. RESULTS: Significant interactions indicating improvements before and after training in the exercise group were noted for time (p < 0.01), VO2 (p < 0.01), and work rate (p < 0.01) at the VT. At peak effort, significant interactions were noted for time (p < 0.01) and work rate (p < 0.01), while borderline significance was noted for absolute (p = 0.07) and relative (p = 0.04) VO2. Significant interactions were observed for the OUES both when using all exercise data (p = 0.04) and when calculated up to the VT (p < 0.01). For the VE2/VCO2 slope, significance was noted only when calculated up to the VT (p = 0.04). After training, heart rate, VE, VO2 and respiratory exchange ratio were significantly attenuated for the same baseline work rate only in the exercise group (all p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Exercise training improves ventilatory efficiency in patients with small AAA. In addition, patients who exercised exhibited less demanding cardiorespiratory responses to submaximal effort.
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