Background: Peak oxygen consumption (peak VȮ 2) is routinely measured in people who have congenital heart disease and
is reported as a percentage of predicted value, based upon age- and sex-matched normative reference values (NRVs). This
study aimed to identify which NRVs are being used, assess whether NRVs are being applied ...
Background: Peak oxygen consumption (peak VȮ 2) is routinely measured in people who have congenital heart disease and
is reported as a percentage of predicted value, based upon age- and sex-matched normative reference values (NRVs). This
study aimed to identify which NRVs are being used, assess whether NRVs are being applied appropriately, and evaluate if
recommended NRVs are valid when applied to people with congenital heart disease.
Methods and results: A systematic scoping review identified studies that reported peak VȮ 2 percentage of predicted value
in people with congenital heart disease. A modified risk of bias tool evaluated the included studies. Forty-five studies reported
peak VȮ 2 percentage of predicted value, and only 21 (47%) studies described or provided a reference on how their percentage of predicted value was calculated. The most cited NRVs were from Wasserman (n=12) and Cooper and Weiler-Ravell
(n=7). Risk of bias analysis judged 63% of studies as having some concerns. The NRVs recommended by the American Heart
Association were applied to participants with a Fontan circulation (n=70; aged 26.5±6.4years; 59% women) to examine validity. Predicted peak VȮ 2 values from the Wasserman NRV was not significantly associated to measured peak VȮ 2 values (men:
b=0.31, R2≤0.01; women: b=0.07, R2=0.02).
Conclusions: Numerous NRVs have been applied to individuals with congenital heart disease and are often poorly reported
and inappropriately matched to participants. The Wasserman NRV was the most cited but showed poor validity when applied
to a Fontan cohort.
