C5.2 Exercise testing

Cardiopulmonary exercise tests may be useful to differenti­ate between breathlessness resulting from cardiac or respira­tory disease, and may help to identify other causes of exercise limitation (eg, hyperventilation, musculoskeletal disorder). Exercise prescription and monitoring of outcomes from drug or rehabilitation therapies are additional uses for these tests. Walking tests (6-minute walking distance and shuttle tests) are also useful, and can indicate whether exercise oxygen desaturation is occurring.