Comparison between regional myocardial blood flow measurements and results of exercise tests

The relationship between regional myocardial blood flow and the results of exercise tests were evaluated in 54 patients, 40 of whom had angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease (CAD) and 14 had normal angiograms. After 20 patients had 2-step tests, 20 had bicycle ergometry, and 14 had treadmill tests, regional myocardial specific blood flow (RMBF) at rest was determined by selective injections of xenon-133 into the left coronary artery and quadrantic washout measured with an Anger camera. RMBF (ml/min/100 gm, mean +/- SE) was significantly lower in patients with coronary artery disease (72 +/- 3) than in normals (91 +/- 7, p less than .05) but RMBF in 12 CAD patients with negative exercise tests (75 +/- 6) was similar to regional myocardial blood flow in 28 coronary artery disease patients with positive exercise tests (71 +/- 4). Degree of ST depression did not influence results. Although measurement of RMBF and exercise testing are both useful procedures in the evaluation of patients with CAD, the data in the present study indicate the RMBF measurements at rest cannot predict the result of the postexercise ECG and vice versa.