[Value of the exercise test in asymptomatic myocardial ischemia]

To evaluate the predictive value of ischemic ST segment depression without associated chest pain during exercise testing, data were analyzed from 7305 studies. Two hundred thirty six patients were included in this study and were separated in 2 groups. Group A consisted of 169 patients without chest pain who, during exercise testing, showed a positive ST segment response (at least 1.5 mm of horizontal or downward ST segment depression for at least 0.08 second, compared with the resting baseline value), and Group B consisted of 67 patients who had both chest pain and a positive ST segment response. Selective coronary angiogram was performed on all patients. Each Group was separated into 3 sub-group according to the Cohn criteria: sub-group I (asymptomatic persons 8.3 vs 19.4%); sub-group II (patients with history of Myocardial Infarction 36.7% vs 19.4%); sub-group III (patients with chronic angina 55% vs 61.2%). The clinical characteristics, coronary risk factors, distribution of coronary artery disease, and exercise test response were similar in both groups. During treadmill exercise, the mean heart rate was 140.6 +/- 22 in group A versus 127.1 +/- 23 in the group B. The pressure-rate product was 2.4 +/- 0.8 versus 1.9 +/- 0.5, respectively (P less than or equal to 0.05). The predictive value for severe coronary artery disease of an exercise test in patients with asymptomatic ischemia was 77.5% as compared with 89.6% in the group with angina. This study confirms the high frequency of asymptomatic myocardial ischemia during exercise testing, compared with patients who had angina during exercise testing, with high percentage of prediction (77.5%) for coronary artery disease.