Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with asthma: What is its clinical value?. (June 2020) - Boutou, Afroditi K.
Abstract: Asthma is one of the most common respiratory disorders, characterized by fully or largely reversible airflow limitation. Asthma symptoms can be triggered or magnified during exertion, while physical activity limitation is often present among asthmatic patients. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a dynamic, non-invasive technique which provides a thorough assessment of exercise physiology, involving the integrative assessment of cardiopulmonary, neuromuscular and metabolic responses during exercise. This review summarizes current evidence regarding the utility of CPET in the diagnostic work-up, functional evaluation and therapeutic intervention among patients with asthma, highlighting its potential role for thorough patient assessment and physician clinical desicion-making. Highlights: A specific CPET protocol can be used to diagnose exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. CPET can evaluate exercise capacity and may discriminate its limiting factors. CPET can be used to assess the present and severity of dynamic hyperinflation. Response to several therapeutic interventions maybe assessed with CPET.