| Relative contraindications |
| ≥1.8 kg increase in body mass over previous 1–3 days |
| Concurrent continuous or intermittent dobutamine therapy |
| Decrease in systolic blood pressure with exercise |
| New York Heart Association functional class IV |
| Complex ventricular arrhythmias at rest or appearing with exertion |
| Supine resting heart rate ≥100 beats·min−1 |
| Pre-existing comorbidities |
| Absolute contraindications |
| Progressive worsening of exercise tolerance, or dyspnoea at rest or on exertion over previous 3–5 days |
| Significant ischaemia at low work rates (<2 METS or ≅50 W) |
| Uncontrolled diabetes |
| Acute systemic illness or fever |
| Recent embolism |
| Thrombophlebitis |
| Active pericarditis or myocarditis |
| Moderate-to-severe aortic stenosis |
| Regurgitant valvular heart disease requiring surgery |
| Myocardial infarction within previous 3 weeks |
| New onset atrial fibrillation |
METS: metabolic equivalents. Reproduced from [87].