Exercise testing in chronic heart failure

Introduction

We all know that one major symptom experienced by many patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) is exercise intolerance, also commonly referred to as one’s exercise capacity. But what does this mean, how do we measure it, and just how important is this?

Typically, it is important to consider multiple physiological variables, including pulmonary oxygen uptake (VO₂), heart rate (HR), and stroke volume, as well as considering the role of both central and peripheral organs in determining exercise tolerance.

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