Cardiopulmonary exercise testing and its application
- Dr K Albouaini, Cardiothoracic Centre, Thomas Drive, Liverpool L14 3PE, UK; Albouaini{at}aol.com
- Accepted 29 May 2007
Abstract
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) has become an important clinical tool to evaluate exercise capacity and predict outcome in patients with heart failure and other cardiac conditions. It provides assessment of the integrative exercise responses involving the pulmonary, cardiovascular and skeletal muscle systems, which are not adequately reflected through the measurement of individual organ system function. CPET is being used increasingly in a wide spectrum of clinical applications for evaluation of undiagnosed exercise intolerance and for objective determination of functional capacity and impairment. This review focuses on the exercise physiology and physiological basis for functional exercise testing and discusses the methodology, indications, contraindications and interpretation of CPET in normal people and in patients with heart failure.
- exercise test
- heart failure
- cardiopulmonary exercise testing
- exercise physiology
- anaerobic threshold
Footnotes
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Conflict of interest: None declared.
- Abbreviations:
- CHF
- congestive heart failure
- CPET
- cardiopulmonary exercise testing
- HF
- heart failure
- MET
- metabolic equivalent
- NYHA
- New York Heart Association
- PVo2
- peak Vo2
- RER
- respiratory exchange ratio
- RQ
- respiratory quotient
- VAT
- ventilatory anaerobic threshold
