Objective. To develop an algorithm of carrying out stress tests at patients with valvular heart diseases.

Materials and methods. 62 patients with the chronic rheumatic heart disease including 42 (68%) women and 20 (32%) men aged 36 to 67 (average age 53.3±8.8 years) were examined.

Results. Performance of diagnostic exercise stress tests before the surgery is possible only for 38% of patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease because of the contraindications high (62%) occurrence. Use of the submaximal symptom-limited test, Bruce’s protocol with a bicycle load allowing perform the research in the patient’s semi-horizontal position decreasing the risk of his/her falling down is recommended for this category of patients. When using the above mentioned approach to carrying out stress tests, no serious undesirable phenomenon was observed.

Conclusion. Load researches at persons with valvular heart disease before the surgery allowed tap the latent symptoms and heart failure at 71% of patients, estimate the surgical intervention efficiency, and develop the physical rehabilitation program.