Scientists Create First Global Fitness Standards Spanning All Ages
Researchers have established the first worldwide reference ranges for cardiopulmonary fitness across the entire human lifespan, analyzing data from nearly 6,000 healthy people aged 6 to 83. The development addresses a decades-old gap in clinical medicine and could standardize how doctors assess exercise capacity and diagnose hidden health problems across different populations and regions.
Originaltitel: ERS technical standard – Reference values for cardiopulmonary exercise testing: summary report and a call for action
Background Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) assesses physiological responses to incremental exercise and identifies potential causes of exercise limitation. There have been several population specific reference equations published, none that span the human age range. It would be advantageous to have all-age global reference ranges. This Task Force aimed to derive Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) reference equations for peak oxygen uptake (VO 2peak ) and peak work rate (W peak ) in healthy individuals. Methods CPET data were collected retrospectively. Generalised additive models of location, shape and scale (GAMLSS) were used to develop reference ranges, including age, sex, height, and weight as explanatory variables. The influence of geographic region, equipment, testing protocols and averaging methods for peak exercise data was also examined. Results Data from 5956 healthy individuals between 6 and 83 years across 17 sites in Europe, North and South America, and Asia were analysed. There was substantial between-subject variability in both VO 2peak and W peak , with wide confidence intervals across age groups. Heterogeneity in VO 2peak was related to geographic region, metabolic cart type, and averaging methods for peak exercise values. Controlling for these variables improved model fit but not sufficiently to be reliable predictors for reference ranges. Conclusion Significant heterogeneity in CPET testing methodology and outcomes between sites precluded the development of reference ranges for VO 2peak and W peak . This Task Force has developed a framework for prospective data collection with strictly standardised protocols and centralised data analysis to reduce variability and establish robust, clinically meaningful reference ranges for CPET outcomes.