Assessment of the functional capacity of the heart and cardiovascular system

The functional capacity of the cardiovascular system is the ability for this system to work sufficiently in different circumstances, primarily in circumstances of increased need to work in order to perform a certain physical activity. Put simply, functional capacity is the “condition” of the heart and blood vessels to perform increased physical effort. Functional capacity is assessed by objective methods, and ergometry is one of them. Most often, functional capacity is expressed in metabolic units, METs, which represent oxygen consumption at a certain level of effort compared to oxygen consumption at rest. The higher it is, the better the functional capacity. As an orientation, it is taken that the capacity below 4 MET is weak and indicates a generally higher risk of possible adverse health events, and that above 7 MET is good. In this way, with ergometry, you can qualitatively assess your general status, the level of fitness of your organism, and monitor (if you carry out certain sports activities) progress over time.

In combination with tests such as heart ultrasound, arterial pressure holter (continuous measurement of arterial pressure), ECG holter, you get an insight into the condition of your heart, the possibility of an objective assessment of the effort you can endure, and the need for preventive measures in terms of preventing the development of the disease heart and blood vessels.