Exercise Testing Update

In brief Exercise testing remains an important tool in diagnosing and evaluating cardiorespiratory conditions. The most useful modality of the exercise test depends on the patient's capabilities. If the patient is young or fit, the Bruce treadmill protocol is appropriate. A modified Naughton test is usually best for older or more fragile patients. A thallium perfusion scan may provide useful follow- up. In interpreting exercise tests, non-ECG variables may be as important as ST segment depression. The safety of exercise tests appears to be improving, and they are increasingly supervised by specially trained nonphysicians.