HCM All Hearts Diagnostic Tools

During a cardiopulmonary stress test your doctor will measure how well your heart and lungs are working during exercise.

Cardiopulmonary stress tests (CPET) allow doctors to measure how well your heart and lungs are working during exercise. During these tests, an EKG monitors your heart rhythm and rate, and your oxygen use is monitored. This test can determine aerobic capacity, severity of shortness of breath (dyspnea or SOB), heart rate, lung function, and heart failure. Sometimes these tests are called VO2 Max tests.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A CPET?
A technician will place EKG electrodes on your chest, arms, and legs. You will wear a blood pressure cuff on your arm throughout the test. You may be asked to breathe into a tube to determine how well you can breathe during exercise. A nose clip may be placed on your nose to ensure you are only breathing through your mouth.

During the test, you will exercise on a stationary bike or treadmill. The speed of the treadmill or bike will be slow at first and will increase gradually. Your heart's electrical activity and your blood pressure will be monitored throughout the test. You will be asked to continue exercising until your heart rate has reached a certain threshold, all the necessary measurements/data have been collected, or if you have developed symptoms or an abnormal heart rhythm. You can stop the test anytime if you are uncomfortable continuing. Your blood pressure and heart activity will continue to be monitored for about 15 minutes after the test. After that, you can resume your normal activities unless your doctor tells you not to.