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Ventricular premature beats. Reliability in various measurement methods at rest and during exercise
Cardiology
|January 1, 1978
Summary
Detecting ventricular premature beats (VPBs) in healthy men using exercise tests shows poor individual reproducibility. While group trends remain stable, specific VPB types are inconsistently identified.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Electrocardiography
Background:
- Ventricular premature beats (VPBs) are common findings in electrocardiogram (ECG) screenings.
- Assessing the reproducibility of VPB detection is crucial for understanding their clinical significance in healthy individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the yield and reproducibility of various ventricular premature beat (VPB) detection methods.
- To assess the test-retest reliability of classifying subjects based on VPB frequency and complexity.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of VPB detection using a combination of isometric and treadmill exercise tests in middle-aged men.
- Evaluation of VPB detection in a 2-min lead I ECG rhythm strip.
- Assessment of test-retest reliability for simple and complex VPB types (multiform, pairs, runs, R-on-T phenomenon).
Main Results:
- VPBs were repeatedly detected in 83% of subjects during exercise testing.
- Test-retest reliability for classifying VPB frequency was 67%.
- Reliability for detecting complex VPBs varied significantly: multiform (47%), pairs (35%), runs (17%), and R-on-T phenomenon (36%).
Conclusions:
- Simple and complex VPBs detected by the described methods exhibit poor individual reproducibility in healthy men.
- Despite individual variability, the overall proportion of subjects with different frequencies or types of ectopic beats remains relatively stable across test occasions for the group.