Exercise and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have abnormal respiratory mechanics, respiratory muscle function, gas exchange, and cardiovascular function during exercise. Their impaired exercise tolerance is at least partly due to altered respiratory mechanics, but factors that increase ventilation during exercise indirectly contribute to exercise limitation. Clinical exercise testing is a very important tool in the assessment of exercise capacity, assessment of factors that contribute to exercise limitation, and differential diagnosis of cardiopulmonary disease.