[Early exercise test after acute myocardial infarction]

To study the predischarge exercise testing importance in determining prognosis after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Treadmill exercise testing was performed in 50 stable and without complications patients with AMI, just before hospital discharge; there were 43 men and 7 women, mean age of 53.6 +/- 9.3 years. It was used the modified Naughton protocol and there were no casualties during the exercise testing. Patients were followed up for a mean period of 22.2 +/- 7.7 months.

The test was positive in 32% of the patients, abnormal (inadequate blood pressure, heart rate response or arrhythmia) in 36% and normal in 42%. During the first year of follow-up, eleven patients presented with a serious cardiac event. There was one cardiovascular death, 6 patients with unstable angina, 2 reinfarctions and 7 patients had a coronary bypass revascularization. The cumulative risk for these events at one year after myocardial infarction was 50% in patients with a positive exercise test, and 5% in those with a normal exercise test (p less than 0.005).

The predischarge exercise testing proved to be a simple and safe method to determine prognosis after acute myocardial infarction, identifying a high risk group early after the acute event.