The future of aerobic exercise testing in clinical practice: is it the ultimate vital sign?

The four traditional vital signs: resting heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and body temperature, serve as the cornerstone of a physical examination. Other assessments such as pain have been proposed as additional vital signs. To this point however, there has been limited consideration for aerobic exercise assessment as a vital sign. A wealth of literature demonstrating the prognostic, diagnostic and interventional value of the aerobic exercise assessment now exists, supporting its use in numerous clinical scenarios. Moreover, the assessment of the aerobic exercise response allows for the manifestation of physiologic abnormalities that are not readily apparent during the collection of resting data. This review will provide evidence supporting the assertion that the aerobic exercise assessment may be afforded vital sign status in future clinical practice.