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Time course of changes in P-wave duration during exercise
A Pandya1, M H Ellestad, R Crump
1Memorial Heart Institute, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Calif., USA.
Cardiology
|July 1, 1996
Summary
Minute-by-minute analysis reveals that prolonged P-wave duration during exercise is an early indicator in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. This finding may precede ST-segment depression, offering a new diagnostic marker.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Diagnostic Markers
Background:
- Previous research noted exercise-induced P-wave duration increases.
- Minute-by-minute analysis of this phenomenon was lacking.
- Understanding early indicators in coronary artery disease (CAD) is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal changes in P-wave duration during exercise.
- To compare P-wave duration minute-by-minute in normal subjects versus CAD patients.
- To explore the relationship between P-wave duration and left-ventricular end-diastolic pressure.
Main Methods:
- Measured P-wave duration in 47 normal subjects and 43 CAD patients.
- Recorded measurements at one-minute intervals throughout exercise tests.
- Analyzed differences in P-wave duration trends between the two groups.
Main Results:
- P-wave duration prolongation in CAD patients was observed early during exercise.
- The difference in P-wave duration between normal and CAD groups widened near maximum exercise.
- Early P-wave duration increase may indicate elevated left-ventricular end-diastolic pressure.
Conclusions:
- Minute-by-minute P-wave duration monitoring during exercise can identify CAD.
- Increased P-wave duration may serve as an earlier diagnostic marker than ST-segment depression.
- This finding has implications for early detection and management of coronary artery disease.