Cardiopulmonary stress test--general characteristics and clinical value

Dyspnea on exertion and exercise intolerance are common problems in many conditions and diseases. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing makes possible to assess the exercise response in patients with abnormalities which are either underestimated or not detectable at rest. The method permits simultaneous assessment of circulatory and ventilatory reserves and can determine aerobic capacity, anaerobic threshold, the ventilatory response and the appearance of hypoxemia. Peak exercise oxygen uptake is the variable most often used, because of its physiological and prognostic value. One can use this information to evaluate the nature and severity of disease, its progression over time and its response to therapy.