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.