Nagel C, et al. - In this prospective study, investigators estimated right ventricular function and pulmonary arterial compliance (PAC; ratio of stroke volume to pulse pressure) during exercise and at rest in the following cases: subjects with systemic sclerosis (SSc) with normal mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), patients with SSc with mildly elevated mean PAP, and candidates with SSc manifesting pulmonary hypertension (PH). They noted that cases with mildly raised mean PAP had a lower 6-minute walking distance, lower cardiac index, and greater pulmonary vascular resistance during exercise, and lower PAC at rest as well as different stages of exercise as compared to subjects with normal mean PAP.