Patent Foramen Ovale: The hole story environmental and exercise physiology

Flex Session — Wednesday, April 26, 2024 — 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM — Convention Center, Room W190B
Environmental and Exercise Physiology Section — Chair: Andrew Lovering — Co-Chair: Peter Wilmshurst

The foramen ovale is an important component of the normal fetal circulation and typically closes in the majority of the population.  However, a patent foramen ovale (PFO) is present in ~30% of the general population.  The impact of a PFO on health and disease has been considered to be negligible.  Nevertheless, recent work by the presenters in this symposium provides evidence to the contrary.  In this symposium we will highlight evidence, which supports the idea that a PFO has a significant physiological and clinical impact on 1) thermoregulation and thermoregulatory responses at rest and during exercise, including ventilatory and cardiovascular responses (Davis, PhD); 2) ventilatory responses to altitude/hypoxia and hypercapnia (Foster, PhD); 3) pulmonary gas exchange efficiency and exercise capacity (Fenster, MD); and 4) decompression illness pathophysiology (Wilmshurst, MD).  These ideas that a PFO has a significant effect on thermoregulation, altitude/hypoxia, exercise and diving are key areas of interest to the Environmental and Exercise Physiology Section.  The presentations in this symposium will tell the hole story and therefore should attract a large number of physiologists and clinicians.

Speakers

• PFO: the "hole" story of thermoregulation
  James Davis — Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport, Indiana State University


• PFO: the "hole" story of hypoxia/altitude
  Glen Foster — Health and Social Development, Univ. of British Colubmia-Okanagan


• PFO: the "hole" story of exercise
  Brett Fenster — Medicine, National Jewish Health


• PFO: the "hole" story of diving
  Peter Wilmshurst — Cardiology, Royal Stoke University Hospital