Treadmill exercise electrocardiography in the elderly with physical impairments

Treadmill testing (TMT) was performed on 76 frail but ambulatory subjects, between 64 and 84 years of age, who had common health problems contributing to physical limitations but had no clinically apparent heart disease. The subjects achieved a mean symptom-limited maximal heart rate of 140.1 +/- 2.07 (SEM) beats per minute which was 80.2 +/- 2.1% of the predicted maximum for age. By standard criteria, ischemic responses were noted in only 5 subjects (6.6%). Three responses were categorized as inconclusive (multifocal ventricular ectopy, chest pain without electrocardiographic change, and prompt ST depression upon standing). TMT was well tolerated, with no significant difficulties encountered. Even for those frail elderly with diseases and physical impairments, symptom-limited TMT may be used with low risk to quantify functional capacity and for exercise prescription. Attempts to screen more intensively for cardiac disease may be irrelevant to their immediate need for maintaining function.