New Insights on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Adults With Systemic Right Ventricles

Previous evaluations of functional capacity in adults with systemic right ventricles (sRV) within a biventricular circulation, largely consisting of those with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) post atrial switch or those with congenitally corrected TGA post physiologic repair, have largely evaluated them using normative data. These studies have consistently demonstrated that cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is significantly reduced in sRV patients compared with the general population.1 Given their relative propensity towards deterioration and progressive heart failure over time compared with those with sLV, early reductions in CRF may serve as an important prognostic indicator, prompting intensification of surveillance and treatment.