The aim of the study was to establish reference values for appraising the circulatory response of men and women to age-predicted maximal heart rate (220-age) exercise testing. The data of exercise testing have been analysed in 942 subjects (608 men and 334 women). Under exercise testing the mean maximal heart rate was 177/min in both sexes. Increase in heart rate per minute of exercise was 5.59 +/- 1.93 in men, 9.00 +/- 4.94 in women. At the peak of exercise test, systolic blood pressure was considerably higher in men than in women (188.96 +/- 27.98 vs. 171.66 +/- 28.46 mmHg; p much less than 0.0001). The average working capacity was 1.7 W/kg among men and 1.31 W/kg among women. The duration of exercise testing time was significantly longer in men than in women (918.6 + 269.4 vs. 578.4 +/- 193.2 s; p less than 0.0001). Reference values for testing time are given according to sex and age with due consideration of body weight and height.

Hungarian Institute of Cardiology Budapest