Journal of Clinical and Experimental Investigations

Abstract

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a noninvasive procedure that provides diagnostic and prognostic information and evaluates an individual’s capacity for dynamic exercise. CPET is an investigation of the respiratory, cardiovascular and cellular response to the exercise that can be done under controlled metabolic conditions. It provides assessment of the integrative exercise responses involving not only the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems but also skeletal muscle system, which are not adequately reflected through the measurement of individual organ system function. Furthermore, it is being performed increasingly in a wide spectrum of clinical applications for evaluation of undiagnosed exercise intolerance or for objective determination of functional capacity. CPET with extensive hardware and educated staffs can be used for the diagnosis of different types of clinical problems. Additionally, the increasing number of applications for which CPET is currently employed, attests to the growing recognition of its importance in medicine.