title: Treadmill exercise tests in persons with Parkinson's disease: responses and disease severity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a paucity of information on cardiovascular responses with regard to the disease stage of Parkinson's disease (PD) when using an exercise test. Our purpose was to examine whether cardiovascular responses to the treadmill exercise test differed among persons with PD who have different disease severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five subjects with PD were studied (34 men and 11 women). The subjects underwent a treadmill exercise test using a modified Bruce protocol. Resting heart rate (HR), resting blood pressure (BP), maximal HR, maximal BP, exercise duration, maximum percentage HR and METs achieved after the treadmill exercise test were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen subjects were in Hoehn and Yahr Staging Scale (HY) 2, 16 were in HY 2.5, and 12 were in HY 3. HR increased significantly in all three stages. Systolic BP increased significantly in the HY 2 and 2.5, but not the HY 3. Diastolic BP did not change in any stage. Resting HR was lower in the HY 2 compared to the HY 3 and resting systolic BP was higher in HY 2 compared to the HY 2.5. The three HY stages were not different in exercise duration, HR and BP responses, maximum percentage HR achieved, and METs achieved. Fatigue was a primary reason to discontinue the test. There were no fall incidents in any of the tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiovascular responses to the treadmill exercise test did not vary with disease severity. Treadmill exercise tests were safe to perform in persons with PD.
authors.affiliation: Research Service, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Blvd (Mail Stop 153), Houston, TX, 77030, USA. msbryant@bcm.edu.|Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. msbryant@bcm.edu.|Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA. msbryant@bcm.edu.
authors.forename: Mon S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA.|Parkinson's Disease Research Education and Clinical Center Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, USA.
authors.forename: George R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, PA, USA.|Department of Neurology, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA.
authors.forename: Jyhgong Gabriel
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Protas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000378:metabolism; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Cardiovascular response; Modified Bruce protocol; Parkinson’s disease; Treadmill exercise test