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Evaluating current assessment techniques of cardiorespiratory fitness
Amanda R Bonikowske1, Jenna L Taylor2, Kathryn F Larson1
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Insights
Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a key predictor of survival for cardiovascular disease and all causes. Routine assessment of CRF should be a vital sign in clinical practice to improve healthspan.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a significant predictor of overall and cardiovascular disease (CVD) survival.
- CRF demonstrates greater prognostic value than traditional CVD risk factors.
- Assessing CRF is crucial in both research and clinical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review technologies for measuring CRF.
- To highlight the prognostic importance of CRF assessment.
- To advocate for the routine clinical assessment of CRF.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature up to May 2024.
- Discussion of 'gold standard' cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET).
- Inclusion of alternative CRF assessment methods (e.g., estimated METs, 6-minute walk tests, shuttle tests, non-exercise equations).
Main Results:
- Various methods, including CPET and alternatives, provide prognostic information for CVD and all-cause survival.
- CRF assessment offers significant prognostic insights.
- Global data confirm CRF's predictive power across diverse health populations.
Conclusions:
- Promoting physical activity to enhance CRF is essential globally for improving lifespan and healthspan.
- Routine CRF assessment should be integrated into clinical practice as a vital sign.
- The prognostic value of CRF underscores its importance in healthcare.
Introduction:
Considerable and convincing global data from cohorts across the health spectrum (i.e. apparently healthy to known disease) indicate that cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a major predictor of overall and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-survival, seemingly with greater prognostic resolution compared to other traditional CVD risk factors. Therefore, the assessment of CRF in research and clinical settings is of major importance.
Areas Covered:
In this manuscript, we review the technology of measuring CRF assessed by the 'gold standard,' cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), as well as with various other methods (e.g. estimated metabolic equivalents, 6-minute walk tests, shuttle tests, and non-exercise equations that estimate CRF), all of which provide significant prognostic information for CVD- and all-cause survival. The literature through May 2024 has been cited.
Expert Opinion:
The promotion of physical activity in efforts to improve levels of CRF is needed throughout the world to improve lifespan and, more importantly, healthspan. The routine assessment of CRF should be considered a vital sign that is routinely assessed in clinical practice.
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