| Absolute | Relative |
| Acute myocardial infarction (3–5 days) Unstable angina Uncontrolled arrhythmias causing symptoms or haemodynamic compromise Syncope Active endocarditis Acute myocarditis or pericarditis Symptomatic severe aortic stenosis Uncontrolled heart failure Acute pulmonary embolus or pulmonary infarction Thrombosis of lower extremities Suspected dissecting aneurysm Uncontrolled asthma Pulmonary oedema Room air SpO2 at rest ≤85%# Acute respiratory failure Acute noncardiopulmonary disorder that may affect exercise performance or be aggravated by exercise (i.e. infection, renal failure, thyrotoxicosis) Mental impairment leading to inability to cooperate | Left main coronary stenosis or its equivalent Moderate stenotic valvular heart disease Severe untreated arterial hypertension at rest (200 mmHg systolic, 120 mmHg diastolic) Tachyarrhythmias or bradyarrhythmias High-degree atrioventricular block Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Significant pulmonary hypertension Advanced or complicated pregnancy Electrolyte abnormalities Orthopaedic impairment that prevents walking |
SpO2: arterial oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry. #: exercise patient with supplemental oxygen. Reproduced from [108] with permission from the publisher.