LVADPERFORM Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Role of cardiac output in exercise capacity in patients with left ventricular assist devices
IRAS ID
218686
Contact name
Guy MacGowan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 27 days
Research summary
Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly being implanted as destination therapy in severe heart failure to improve mortality and quality of life. The mechanisms of exercise intolerance in patients with LVADs is unclear. Our hypothesis is that exercise-induced increase in cardiac output predicts exercise capacity. This is a single centre, parallel prospective group study of LVAD and chronic heart failure patients already receiving optimal medical therapy. We aim to investigate if the ability of a patient to increase cardiac output whilst having right heart catheterisation and cardiac output measuresments as part of routine practice and will correlate following LVAD implantation. It is also of interest if ventricular function as assessed by echocardiography is related to exercise capacity in patients with LVAD implantation. Existing research has shown that superior cardiac output is associated with improved exercise capacity, however in the context of LVADs this has been not been studied to the same degree as with chronic heart failure. Furthermore, it is not clear how the ability to increase cardiac output will correlate with exercise capacity post implantation. It could serve as a valuable predictor to aid patient selection of LVAD implantation. The investigations will form part of routine clinical care in the assessment of patients post LVAD implantation, as part of the normal assessment for heart transplantation. Right heart catheterization is a standard part of the assessment, and we will add the straight leg raising component as a means of increasing cardiac output. During cardiac exercise asessment patients will have gas exchange analysed using Innocor without any change to routine practice. Heart failure patients will wear stickers similar to taking a standard ECG for non-invasive monitoring of cardiac output using NICOM (being used in a standard indication)
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
17/WA/0066
Date of REC Opinion
7 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion