Skeletal muscle fiber composition and capillarization in patients with chronic heart failure: relation to exercise capacity and central hemodynamics.

Patients with chronic heart failure have structural and metabolic changes in skeletal muscle, which may be of importance for symptomatology. The origin of these changes are still unknown. The relationship between fiber composition and capillarization in skeletal muscle with exercise capacity and central hemodynamic variables was examined. Biopsies from the lateral vastus muscle were taken in 12 patients with chronic heart failure. Samples from eight normal subjects served as control samples. All patients underwent maximal exercise tests. Central hemodynamic variables were measured during exercise in five patients. The patients had a higher percentage of type II B fibers (P = .03) and fewer capillaries per fiber (P = .02) than the controls subjects. VO2 max correlated with the percentage of type I fibers, whereas the correlation with the type II A fibers was inverse. Cardiac index and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure at submaximal and maximal exercise were related to fiber type composition and relative fiber areas. Skeletal muscle fiber type composition and capillarization was changed in patients with chronic heart failure. These changes might influence exercise capacity. There were relationships between central hemodynamic variables and skeletal muscle changes. What the cause and effects were need further investigation.