Cardiorespiratory fitness in women after severe pre-eclampsia.

To objectively study cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and physical activity (PA) and to evaluate limiting factors of exercise intolerance associated with poor CRF after severe pre-eclampsia. In this single-centre, cross-sectional study, CRF was measured as peak oxygen uptake (VO In 62 patients and 35 controls (mean age 40 ± 3 years), the VO Significantly lower CRF and PA levels were found in patients on long-term follow-up after severe pre-eclampsia. CPET identified cardiovascular limitations in one third of patients. One third appeared unfit, with adiposity and lower PA levels. These findings highlight the need for clinical follow-up and exercise interventions after severe pre-eclampsia.