Stress Test Performance by Preterm-Born Females in Adolescence and Adulthood

Abstract

Preterm birth often entails developmental disorders, with the circulatory and respiratory systems are particularly at risk, yet few studies have examined long-term effects. To evaluate the long-term impact of preterm birth on stress test performance in women born preterm, we administered the same stress test to the same set of preterm-born subjects, first at the age of puberty, then again in adulthood, comparing the results. The strength of the relationship between anthropometric parameters and physical fitness, as well as estimated oxygen uptake were also analyzed. A total of 70 girls (aged 12.2±1.5) who had been born preterm (34.7±1.86 weeks) were tested in 1997. Of those, after a gap of 18 years, a group of 13 as successfully re-contacted and participated in the 2015 examination as adults (then aged 27.6±2.60 years, born preterm at 34.5±2.0 weeks). Each time, an indirect HR test was performed (W 150 test) while striving to maintain HR=150 bpm; the level of physical load (W) therefore depended only on physical fitness and exercise tolerance. In the group of adolescent girls, the rate of stress oxygen uptake (O 2 ) and the metabolic stress response were measured by using the Jaeger ErgoOxyscreen apparatus. In the adult group, the VO 2 max rate was measured. In adolescence, no difference was found between the study group and the reference group. In adulthood, however, the prematurely born adults demonstrated significantly lower values of VO 2 max and total work performed in relation to the reference group, pointing to a decline in physical fitness in the study group. Conclusions: 1. During puberty, prematurely born adolescents display better aerobic metabolism and higher rates of total work performed than their peers born at term. 2. There was a significant decrease in the level of physical fitness in the adult study group. 3. It is recommended to continuously monitor the level of exercise tolerance in prematurely born individuals at different stages of life.