RoMa: A Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Based Risk Tool in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Open Access
- 21 April 2026
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wolters Kluwer Health in Journal of the American Heart Association
- Vol. 15 (8) , e046438
Abstract
Background: The RoMa classification, based on peak heart rate and oxygen pulse derived from cardiopulmonary exercise testing, was recently proposed to stratify patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by physiological reserve during exercise. We aimed to externally validate RoMa in an independent multicenter cohort with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and assess its association with long‐term clinical outcomes. Methods: In this retrospective multicenter cohort study patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, undergoing cardiopulmonary exercise testing, were consecutively enrolled. Patients were enrolled regardless of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and were naïve to disease‐specific therapy (eg, mavacamten). Patients were categorized into RoMa I to IV based on percentage of predicted heart rate and oxygen pulse. The primary end point was a composite of all‐cause and cardiovascular death, sudden cardiac death, or aborted sudden cardiac death, heart failure–related hospitalization, stroke, systemic embolism, surgical myectomy, and heart transplantation. Results: The study included 292 patients (age 51 [36–63] years, 70% male sex, 30% with obstructive left ventricular outflow tract). Functional capacity declined hierarchically across RoMa groups (peak oxygen uptake 29.2 to 17.9 mL/kg/min; P ‐trend P =0.019). In multivariable analysis, RoMa II to IV compared with RoMa I were independently associated with higher hazard ratios (HRs) for the composite outcome (HRs, 3.89–5.37; all P <0.05), whereas genotype, LVEF <50%, male sex, and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction were not predictive. Conclusions: The RoMa classification independently predicts long‐term, clinically relevant outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy regardless of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and may provide a novel approach to risk stratification.Keywords
This publication has 28 references indexed in Scilit:
- Aficamten and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test PerformanceJAMA Cardiology, 2024
- Effects of Mavacamten on Measures of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Beyond Peak Oxygen ConsumptionJAMA Cardiology, 2023
- Effect of Beta-Blocker Therapy on the Response to Mavacamten in Patients with Symptomatic Obstructive Hypertrophic CardiomyopathyEuropean Journal of Heart Failure, 2023
- Effect of Beta-Blocker Use on Exercise Heart Rate Gradient and Reclassification of Mortality Risk in Patients Referred for Exercise TestingThe American Journal of Cardiology, 2020
- Significance of Pulmonary Hypertension in Hypertrophic CardiomyopathyCurrent Problems in Cardiology, 2020
- Peak oxygen pulse responses during maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing: Reference standards from FRIEND (Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise: an International Database)International Journal of Cardiology, 2020
- How to perform and report a cardiopulmonary exercise test in patients with chronic heart failureInternational Journal of Cardiology, 2019
- Clinical and prognostic impact of chronotropic incompetence in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathyInternational Journal of Cardiology, 2018
- Dissecting functional impairment in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by dynamic assessment of diastolic reserve and outflow obstruction: A combined cardiopulmonary-echocardiographic studyInternational Journal of Cardiology, 2017
- Prognostic significance of late gadolinium enhancement quantification in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with systolic dysfunctionHeart and Vessels, 2015