Clinical cardiopulmonary exercise testing:
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is done using a treadmill or cycle ergometer. A basic 6 minute walk test may be used to determine baseline exercise capacity before and after medications, surgery, and pulmonary or cardiac rehab programs. Any of these tests may be used as a basic evaluation of exercise capacity, safety and guidelines in patients with coronary heart disease, shortness of breath with/without exertion, lung/heart transplantation, poor exercise tolerance, lung resection, pulmonary hypertension, chronic bronchitis, asthma, interstitial lung disease, heart failure, COPD, cystic fibrosis, peripheral vascular disease, fibromyalgia, advanced age, patients with pulmonary vascular disorders, and for predicting mortality in cardiac patients.