Influence of age and sex on left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction during upright exercise in normal subjects.

To determine the effects of age and sex on exercise left ventricular volume indexes and ejection fraction, a cross-sectional study was performed in 18 young volunteers (nine men and nine women) and in 17 older volunteers (nine men and eight women) without evidence of coronary artery disease by exercise electrocardiographic and thallium-201 criteria. All subjects performed a multistage maximal upright exercise with measurements of maximal oxygen consumption and heart rate; left ventricular ejection fraction and absolute volume indexes were measured at rest and during submaximal and maximal exercise using equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography. At rest, no effect of age or sex on any parameter was observed. At peak exercise, an age-related increase in mean blood pressure, end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indexes, and decrease in ejection fraction, cardiac index, heart rate and oxygen consumption were noticed. Sex had a significant effect on maximal workload, maximal oxygen consumption and ejection fraction.