What is a SHAPE test?

SHAPE stands for sub-maximal heart and pulmonary evaluation. This kind of test falls under the umbrella of a non-invasive cardiopulmonary exercise test, i.e., it measures how well a person’s heart, lungs, and muscles function during exercise.

The SHAPE test lasts for six minutes total, including two minutes of baseline monitoring, three minutes of stepping up and down at the patient’s own pace, and one minute of recovery. Throughout the test, the person wears a mouthpiece that is connected to a continuous gas exchange analyzer. Some important measurements you get from a SHAPE test are heart rate recovery, oxygen uptake efficiency, and peak oxygen utilization.

How is the SHAPE test useful when studying ME/CFS? Previous work from Dr. Systrom’s group at the OMF Ronald G. Tompkins Harvard ME/CFS Collaboration has shown that measurements from the SHAPE test can show changes in function after treatment with pyridostigmine, a drug that can impact aerobic capacity. Based on this work, measurements from the SHAPE test are included as primary outcomes in OMF’s clinical trial, the Life Improvement Trial (LIFT).

You can find an abstract summarizing the changes detectable through the SHAPE test in people with ME/CFS here.

For more information about the LIFT, click here.