[New concepts in the interpretation of the cardiovascular and respiratory response to acute physical exercise. Implications in chronic heart failure].

Exercise provides a powerful stress that permits the study of the regulation of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems under rigorously and highly reproducible conditions. In this review the cardiopulmonary adjustments to acute exercise loads and control mechanisms operating in normal subjects have been reviewed. A comparison with the responses of chronic heart failure has been made with the aim of highlighting the origin of reduced exercise tolerance and early occurrence of dyspnea, characteristic features of this syndrome. The clinical and therapeutic implications of cardiopulmonary exercise test are discussed.