MODEL RELEASED. Heart fitness test. Nurse taking blood pressure readings from a man taking a heart fitness test. The cuff inflated around his arm is deflated to restore the blood flow. The nurse listens to the pulse with the stethoscope, and the dial in her hand shows the cuff pressure. This is the blood pressure reading, which is an important indicator of health. Electrodes on the man's chest monitor the electrical activity of his beating heart. Changes in these measurements, as the man exercises, allow an assessment of his cardiovascular fitness. Disorders like arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), and some forms of coronary artery disease, can be diagnosed from the test.