Cardiopulmonary evaluation of patients with rate responsive pacemakers

Since the first transvenous pacemaker was implanted, the indications for pacing and the varieties of pacemakers have increased spectacularly, always with a view to extend life expectancy and improve the patient’s quality of life. A significant development in pacing was the construction of single chamber and, later, of dual chamber rate responsive pacemakers. A substantial number of studies have established the clear superiority of these pacemakers over fixed rate pacemakers as regards the clinical benefit and the exercise tolerance of patients with chronotropic incompetence.