Standardized Informal Exercise Testing for Programming Rate Adaptive Pacemakers

t is essential that patients with pacemakers capable of rate modulation undergo some form of exercise testing to assure appropriate rate modulation, Informal exercise testing is a reasonable and Jess expensive alternative to formal treadmill testing. Empiric adjustment of the rate response parameters by assessing the patient's rate response while walking at a self-determined casual and brisk pace has been used. However, no normals exist to determine the appropriate rate response for a "casual" and "brisk" walk. Volunteers were tested with metronome-guided casual and brisk walks in an effort to standardize the informal exercise and determine expected heart rate response for these levels of activity, Results of the metronome-guided rate response in normal volunteers may be useful in determining the appropriate rate response for pacemaker patients when tested in such an informal manner.