Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in congestive heart failure. a proposal based on evidence

Abstract

The purpose of this document is to present recommendations for the clinical utilization of the cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with congestive heart failure with special emphasis on the evidence-based medicine, by means of a systematic search of the literature. The cardiopulmonary exercise testing is a useful tool in the evaluation and follow-up of patients with heart failure, but it is infrequently used in the daily practice of specialists in internal medicine and clinical cardiology. It allows differential diagnoses in patients with dyspnea of unexplained cause; to evaluate the tolerance to exercise, the functional capacity and prognosis; to select patients for heart transplantation; to provide parameters for the prescription of exercise, and to monitor the response to training in rehabilitation programs.