Exercise Testing in Aortic Stenosis

Abstract

Physician-supervised exercise testing in asymptomatic patients with aortic stenosis allows an objective assessment of the hemodynamic response to exercise and it provides a measure of exercise capacity. Exercise testing cannot be used to determine the presence or absence of coronary artery disease, but limited data indicate that exercise testing can provide prognostic information. The results of such testing can be used to provide an exercise prescription and to reassure the patient who might otherwise excessively limit his or her activity.

Exercise Testing in Asymptomatic Aortic Stenosis

“…Patients with AAS may have a tendency to decrease their usual physical activity in order to avoid the appearance of symptoms. Thus, exercise testing could be an efficient method to give rise to the symptoms and evaluate the hemodynamic response [25]. We have considered the apparition of symptoms at low functional capacity (<5 METs in patients younger than 70 years and <4 METs in patients aged over 70 years) to rule out dyspnea due to hyperventilation by excessive exercise in less trained patients.…”