Debo B; Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
Coomans I; Vandekerckhove K; De Groote K

European Journal of Pediatrics. 184(12):817, 2025 Dec 03.

Data on exercise capacity of pediatric patients with Turner syndrome (TS)
is scarce. This study was aimed at evaluating the cardiopulmonary response
to exercise in girls with TS aged 8 to 18 years. In this prospective,
single-center case-control cohort study girls with TS were matched to
healthy controls based on gender, age, and weight. All girls performed a
maximal incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test (CEPT) on an
electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer. Key variables measured
included peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak) and maximal workload both expressed
as percentages of predicted values based on gender, age, and weight. O2
pulse is expressed in milliliters per heartbeat. Twenty-one girls with TS
were included and matched with 21 control patients. Girls with TS
demonstrated significantly lower VO2 peak values (% of predicted) compared
to controls (mean difference: – 10.3%, p = 0.014). Similarly, maximal
workload was significantly reduced in the TS group (mean difference: –
17.6%, p = 0.002). A general linear model confirmed that group status (TS
vs. control) was a significant predictor of both VO2 peak and maximal
workload, independent of age and weight. No significant differences were
observed in maximal heart rate or blood pressure between the two groups.
O2 pulse (ml/beat) was significantly lower in patients with TS (7.7 +/-
1.2 ml/beat) versus healthy controls (8.6 +/- 1.4 ml/beat, p = 0.03).
Conclusion: Girls with TS exhibit a reduced exercise capacity compared to
their healthy peers, as evidenced by lower VO2 peak, maximal workload and
O2 pulse during standardized CPET. Further research on pathophysiology,
evolution over time, and impact of targeted interventions is needed.