Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) for Precise Treatment

As the area’s leading provider of pulmonary disease care, Norton Pulmonary Specialists offers a full range of testing options, including cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), for Louisville and Southern Indiana patients.

CPET is a vital test for many lung conditions, as it measures heart, lung and muscle function while exercising.

CPET, also called a pulmonary stress test, is noninvasive and simultaneously measures your cardiovascular and respiratory systems. While you exercise on a treadmill or stationary bike, we collect data on how effective your lungs, heart and muscles function under stress.

With their experience and expertise, the pulmonologists at Norton Pulmonary Specialists can use data from this and other tests to give you a precise diagnosis and customized treatment plan.

CPET helps measure the performance of your heart and lungs. The test can help determine exercise limitations and suggest follow-up steps. It collects a tremendous amount of data and takes a comprehensive look at your cardiac and lung function.

Your physician may use CPET to assist in a diagnosis of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or other pulmonary diseases.

Preparing for a CPET

Wear comfortable clothing and proper footwear for riding a bicycle or running on a treadmill.

Even if your test is primarily for pulmonary reasons, you’ll still have electrocardiogram (EKG) leads attached to your skin, so avoid clothing that does not allow easy access to your chest.

Do not eat or drink anything other than water in the three hours before your test. Avoid exercise or physical labor for 24 hours before your test.

Care That’s Convenient for You

• Norton Pulmonary Specialists is recognized by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association as an accredited Pulmonary Hypertension Care Center — the only one in Kentucky. This distinction highlights our physicians’ expertise in pulmonary hypertension, especially pulmonary arterial hypertension, and their commitment to improving care and outcomes for patients with this life-threatening condition.
• Our staff includes interventional pulmonologists who are trained and experienced in minimally invasive diagnostics and treatment, including robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, meaning you’ll have access to advanced technology for your care.
• We have seven convenient Louisville-area locations: Northeastern Louisville, downtown Louisville, Newburg, Pleasure Ridge Park and Mount Washington, Kentucky; in Southern Indiana, Jeffersonville and Scottsburg.
• We provide pulmonary care and respiratory management of critical care patients at Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital and Norton Hospital.
• Norton Healthcare’s pulmonary rehabilitation program has three locations in Louisville and is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
• We work as a team with referring physicians, including pediatricians.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.

About Norton Pulmonary Specialists

The board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians with Norton Pulmonary Specialists are leaders in caring for Louisville and Southern Indiana patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema and other lung diseases.

• More than two dozen board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians with extensive experience specialize in diagnosis and management of all forms of lung diseases and sleep disorders, so you can get the care you need.
• The Norton Pulmonary Specialists team pursues leading-edge treatments, and our specialists are investigators on many clinical trials that give patients access to the latest treatments.
• Our specialists use robotic-assisted bronchoscopy to perform minimally invasive biopsies of the lung, which allows for greater precision during the important diagnostic procedure.  
• Norton Pulmonary Specialists is accredited by the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
• Our providers will give you a precise diagnosis and develop a customized treatment plan for your lung condition, so you can get back to living your best life.
• For asthma, your physician will work with you to develop a written asthma action plan to help you manage your symptoms.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.
• Communicate with your provider, manage appointments, refill prescriptions and more anytime from a computer or mobile device with a free Norton MyChart account.
• Norton Pulmonary Specialists is the only site in Kentucky accredited by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association as a Center for Comprehensive Care.