Usefulness of laboratory mental stress test in patients with stable coronary artery disease

Many episodes of ischemia in daily life are silent occurring during sedentary activities and may be related to mental stress. In 35 patients with stable angina and positive exercise test awaiting bypass surgery, we investigated whether laboratory mental stress tests would trigger ischemia of a comparable severity to that occurring in daily life and attempted to elucidate some of the underlying mechanisms.

All patients underwent exercise testing, personality assessment, 2-day Holter monitoring, and laboratory mental stress tests while on their usual medications.

Only four patients (12%) had positive mental stress test (ST depression > or = 0.1 mV). All episodes were silent and usually associated with fast heart rate (> 90 beats/min). In contrast, ambulatory ischemia was common (average duration of 51 min per 24 h), and at least one episode was recorded in 27 patients (77%) including the 4 with positive test. Patients with positive mental stress test had a higher heart rate during testing (124 +/- 24 vs. 86 +/- 16 beats/min, p < 0.01), and a shorter exercise time and time to 1 mm ST depression on cycle ergometry than those with negative mental stress test. None of the four patients were on beta blockers. There was no difference in personality inventory between the two groups. Comparisons between patients with and without positive mental stress test revealed no difference in the duration and frequency of ambulatory ischemia, or in the occurrence of silent ischemia. However, the heart rate at onset of ambulatory ischemia tended to be higher in the patients with positive mental stress test (96 +/- 9 vs. 62 +/- 43, p = 0.07). Further subgroup analysis in patients without beta blockers (4 mental stress test positive and 18 negative) showed similar results.

Laboratory mental stress test is a weak inducer of ischemia detected by electrocardiographic monitoring in patients with frequent ambulatory ischemia. Wall motion evaluation during mental stress test may improve sensitivity. While larger scale studies may determine its clinical role, the present study illustrated that patients with heightened heart rate response to mental stress were identified in whom beta blockers could be the drug of choice.