Significance of P wave terminal force in presumably healthy middle-aged men

In a material comprising 695 males aged 40 to 60 years without cardiovascular disease, the prevalence of abnormal P wave terminal force in V1 (V1Ptf) (less than or equal to - 0.03 mm. second) at rest was 7.1 per cent, whereas the prevalence five minutes after a near-maximal exercise test was 25.4 per cent. Abnormal V1Ptf was associated with a slightly higher systolic and diagstolic blood pressure, maximal rise of systolic blood pressure, and maximal rate-pressure product during the exercise test. The prevalence of abnormal V1Ptf was not significantly higher in another group of 95 individuals who were angiographied because of strong suspicion of latent coronary heart disease (CHD) according to exercise electrocardiogram. An abnormal V1Ptf may be considered as a possibly clinically unimportant anomaly in otherwise healthy middle-aged men. V1Ptf is not suitable as a tool for the diagnosis of latent CHD.