Foundation:

The heart rate variability is considered an indicator of high sensitivity and specificity for activities that require a certain mental effort; however, it is necessary to refine the current registration and evaluation methods, to achieve greater applicability.

Objective:

to determine the cardiovascular response and maximum heart rate through a stress test in women with menopause.

Methods:

a descriptive study, which quantified cardiovascular risk factors, anthropometry and cardiovascular response before, during and after the stress test in women with menopause (143 participants) living in Cucuta, Colombia. Sociodemographic, clinical, anthropometric and hemodynamic variables were analyzed. The stress test was applied according to Bruce’s protocol.

Results:

the most representative risk factors were sedentary lifestyle (67.1%), hypertension (38.4%) and overweight (37%). The maximum heart rate after the test increased significantly, with an average value of 163.4 ± 14.2, as was the blood pressure, but without significant difference.

Conclusion:

Cardiovascular response after the stress test and recovery time after one, three and five minutes were good, but much lower compared to studies of women without menopause.

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