Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “EXERCISE TEST”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 685 records · Page 38Linked to original sources

Diagnostic and functional exercise testing: test selection and interpretation.

Exercise stress tests are useful in many areas of medical practice and research. The results extend the clinical significance of information obtained from other sources (ie, detailed history, thorough physical examination, resting electrocardiogram, chest radiograph, and basic laboratory analyses) and serve as a diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic guide. Leg or arm ergometry is commonly used to assess a patient's functional status, diagnose relative myocardial ischemia, and investigate physiologic mechanisms of cardiac symptoms. The responses may also be used to determine the effects of interventions such as coronary artery bypass surgery, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, medications, or exercise training.

Adult↗

[Blood pressure values during an exercise test].

High blood pressure readings are relatively frequent during dynamic exercise testing. However, because of the paucity of date concerning normal blood pressure values during exertion and the prognostic significance of exertion hypertension, the attitude to be adopted towards such patients is ill-defined. The present study proposes mean values for BP at a given workload, per age group (less than 20, 20-39, 40-59, greater than 60) and per sex. These values were computed from measurements during dynamic exercise tests performed by 303 subjects (177 male, 126 female) at 100 and 150 watts workloads. Systolic and diastolic pressures during exertion correlated positively with resting blood pressure values (p less than 0.001) and increased with age (p less than 0.001). Hypertension during exertion was defined as values more than 2 SD above mean values for the corresponding age group and sex. 20 subjects met these criteria in our study.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

The value of preoperative exercise testing in predicting long-term survival in patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass surgery.

To determine whether preoperative exercise testing adds important independent prognostic information in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery, 35 variables were analyzed in 1241 patients enrolled in the Coronary Artery Surgery Study registry. All patients underwent a treadmill exercise test before bypass surgery and were followed for up to 7 years. Survival in this surgical cohort was 90.6% (1124 of 1241). Multivariate stepwise dicriminant analysis identified the left ventricular score and the final exercise stage achieved as the two most important (p less than .001) independent predictors of postoperative survival. In a subgroup of 416 patients with three-vessel coronary disease and preserved left ventricular function, the probability of postoperative survival at 7 years ranged from 95% for those patients able to exercise to stage 4 to 83% for those whose ability was limited to stage 1 of exercise. Thus, the preoperative exercise test, by assessing the functional capacity of the cardiovascular system, is an important independent predictor of postoperative survival.

Coronary Angiography↗

Exercise testing for the primary care physician.

In the primary care setting, exercise testing is frequently used to evaluate patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. Appropriate utilization requires knowledge of the indications as well as the contraindications and interpretation of the variables generated by the test. While ST segment changes are widely regarded as the most important variable generated by the exercise test, other variables including ventricular arrhythmias, blood pressure response, ischemic symptoms, workload, and exercise capacity are also important and useful in interpretation. Consideration of the question being addressed, the clinical context, and the test adequacy are all important for proper interpretation. Interpretation concerning both diagnostic and prognostic questions should employ principles of both the categorical and probability approaches.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗

Exercise test in women and men aged 75-77 years.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological response to an exercise test in 75- to 77-year-old women and men. Out of a systematically chosen and representative sample of 1,245 persons from a population at the age of 70, 649 individuals remained available at the age of 75-77 years. An exercise test was performed in 335 participants (52%), 174 women and 161 men. 180 (28%) were excluded because of morbidity. 131 (20%) refused to perform an exercise test. Three persons had to be excluded because of missing data. The maximal heart rate was about 140 beats/min. Heart rates at different submaximal workloads were higher in females than in males. In males there was a significant nonlinear increase in heart rate at increasing work loads while in females this was not significant. The systolic blood pressure increased more in females than in males while working on the loads 30-50 W and 50-75 W. There was a significant nonlinear increase in systolic blood pressure in men without cardiovascular drugs during exercise on 30-75 W, but the corresponding increase was not significant in women. The highest average work load for the whole group measured during at least 4 min of near-maximal exercise on a bicycle was in women 48 W and in men 66 W. Forty-four percent of the women and 22% of the men had a physical working capacity presumably interfering with their ability to perform activities of daily living.

Aged↗

Does ambulatory monitoring contribute to exercise testing and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in the prediction of the extent of coronary artery disease in stable angina?

The role of ambulatory myocardial ischemia detection, in addition to exercise testing and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, in the prediction of the angiographic severity of coronary artery disease in patients with stable angina was examined. Ninety-seven patients underwent ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring, exercise testing with scintigraphy, and coronary angiography. In addition to the number of diseased vessels involved, proximal arterial segment and coronary artery jeopardy scores were calculated to evaluate the extent of disease and amount of myocardium at risk. Thirty patients (31%) had 1.8 +/- 1.8 episodes/24 hours of ambulatory ischemia (94% of episodes were asymptomatic) and were similar to 67 without ambulatory ischemia in regard to clinical characteristics, left ventricular function and mean number of diseased vessels involved. Proximal arterial segment and coronary artery jeopardy scores were greater in: (1) 30 patients with versus 67 without ambulatory ischemia (3.3 +/- 1.8 vs 1.9 +/- 1.5 [p = 0.0002] and 6.6 +/- 3.6 vs 5.0 +/- 3.4 [p = 0.03], respectively); (2) 78 with versus 19 without a positive exercise test (2.6 +/- 1.8 vs 1.4 +/- 0.8 [p = 0.0001] and 6.1 +/- 3.5 vs 3.0 +/- 2.5 [p = 0.0003], respectively); and (3) 69 with versus 6 without a positive perfusion scan (2.4 +/- 1.8 vs 1.0 +/- 0 [p = 0.0008] and 5.5 +/- 3.6 vs 2.3 +/- 2.0 [p = 0.03], respectively). In multivariate analysis, ambulatory ischemia was the best predictor of the proximal segment score, whereas exercise testing and myocardial perfusion imaging were predictive of the coronary jeopardy score.

Angina Pectoris↗

Diagnosis of pulmonary vascular limit to exercise by cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

BACKGROUND: Given the recent development of newer and less-invasive treatments for pulmonary hypertension, and the long wait for lung transplantation, early and correct diagnosis of this condition is increasingly important. The purpose of this study was to determine and improve the accuracy of a non-invasive, cardiopulmonary exercise-testing algorithm for detecting a pulmonary vascular limit to exercise. METHODS: We performed 130 consecutive, incremental cycling-exercise tests for exertional symptoms with pulmonary and radial artery catheters in place. Pulmonary vascular limit was defined as pulmonary vascular resistance at maximum exercise >120 dynes. sec/cm(5) and a peak-exercise systemic oxygen delivery <80% predicted, without a pulmonary mechanical limit or poor effort. We applied a previously reported non-invasive exercise-test-interpretation algorithm to each patient and sequentially manipulated branch point threshold values to maximize accuracy. RESULTS: The sensitivity of the original non-invasive algorithm for pulmonary vascular limit was 79%, specificity was 75%, and accuracy was 76%. Sensitivity did not change with systematic alteration of branch-point threshold values, but specificity and accuracy improved to 88% and 85%, respectively. Accuracy improved most by modifying the threshold values for percent predicted maximum oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide output ventilatory equivalents at lactate threshold. CONCLUSION: Non-invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing is a useful tool for detecting and excluding a pulmonary vascular limit and for determining whether abnormal pulmonary hemodynamics limit aerobic capacity.

Adult↗

Isoproterenol infusion--an alternative to exercise testing.

Isoproterenol, as an exercise simulating agent, was evaluated in twenty subjects, ten normal volunteers and ten with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Both groups were evaluated using 0.5 ug increments of intravenous infusion of isoproterenol every 3 minutes with computerised ECG (Marquette Electronics--MAC PC) monitoring. The normal volunteers did not have significant ST segment depression even at heart rates of 130 BPM. The CAD groups showed diagnostic ischaemic ST segment depression at heart rates below 130 BPM. None of the subjects had any serious complications during or after the test. Isoproterenol infusion is a better alternative to exercise testing.

Adult↗

[Cardiopulmonary exercise tests -- proposals for standardization and interpretation].

I give some recommendations concerning methodology and interpretation of cardiopulmonary exercise tests. The recommendations are based on our comprehensive data bank of exercise tests (282 tests and about 200 single parameters assessed during each test). When I expect an exercise capacity lower than 100 W I perform a ramp test; concerning expected higher exercise capacity steps of 25 W every 2 min are preferred. In order to achieve an optimal assessment of exercise capacity an exhaustion or symptom limited test should be performed. The achieved maximum oxygen consumption does not allow differing between cardiac or pulmonary causes of exercise limitation. It is only a marker of cardiopulmonary exercise capacity. A lot of algorithms to assess the maximum oxygen consumption are available, yet the results of calculating oxygen consumption with these algorithms differ considerably. Therefore it is mandatory to mention the used algorithm when referring to a calculated predicted oxygen consumption value. There are also several methods to assess the ventilatory and metabolic anaerobic threshold. For clinical purposes assessing lactate values is not necessary. The so called 4 mmol x l(-1) threshold accords primarily to the threshold assessed with the V-slope method. The Hf-slope may be used as an index for classification of heart failure stages analogous to the NYHA classification. Changes in dead space ventilation are mainly an expression of changed ventilation perfusion relationships and do not give evidence for any specific cardiac or pulmonary disorder. The slope of the equivalent for CO(2) is a relevant parameter of prognosis in cardiac failure. The value of the breathing reserve is not indicative of pathologic ventilatory limitation of exercise. You may find a reduced breathing reserve of about 0 also in healthy volunteers who are driven to exhaustion limited exercise. The value of the breathing reserve depends strongly on the kind of calculation or measuring mode and depending on the mode you can get normal or extremely reduced values in the same test person. The analysis of the flow volume curve during exercise provides some criteria of ventilatory exercise limitation. Pulse oxymetry is relevant only as a safety parameter. Because of its inaccuracy it should not be used to prove desaturation during exercise. The assessment of the alveolar-arterial pO (2) difference is of diagnostic relevance. The Borg scale, the course of the oxygen equivalent of O(2), the respiratory exchange ratio, and the aerobic capacity are of no major relevance for differential diagnosis.

Energy Metabolism↗

Exercise testing in pulmonary arterial hypertension and in chronic heart failure.

Exercise capacity is reduced in pulmonary arterial hypertension and in chronic left heart failure, but it is not known whether the cardiopulmonary exercise testing profile is different in the two conditions at the same severity of functional limitation. Nineteen patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and 19 with chronic heart failure underwent a 6-min walk test and symptom-limited maximal incremental cycle ergometry. The patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic heart failure did not differ in New York Heart Association Functional Class (mean +/- SEM 2.8 +/- 0.1 versus 2.8 +/- 0.2), 6-min walking distance (395 +/- 30 versus 419 +/- 20 m), peak work-rate, oxygen consumption, ventilation and cardiac frequency. However, patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension exhibited higher dyspnoea scores (5.8 +/- 0.6 versus 3.8 +/- 0.5) higher ventilatory equivalents for carbon dioxide (58 +/- 3 versus 44 +/- 3 at the anaerobic threshold) and lower peak oxygen pulse (5.9 +/- 0.4 versus 8.7 +/- 0.5 mL x beat(-1), or 53 +/- 4 versus 64 +/- 4% of the predicted value). It is concluded that the cardiopulmonary exercise testing profile in pulmonary arterial hypertension differs from that in chronic heart failure by showing more dyspnoea at comparable work-rates, related to greater reductions in ventilatory efficiency and stroke volume.

Adult↗

Prediction of left ventricular dysfunction in coronary artery disease from clinical and exercise test findings.

We studied the ability to predict depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from clinical and exercise test findings prior to surgery in consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) from 1988 to 1991 (n = 663). Multivariate analysis showed a history of myocardial infarction, pathological Q-wave in resting ECG, systolic blood pressure at maximal exercise and the degree of mitral regurgitation as significant independent predictors of impaired LVEF. The relative risk (RR) of depressed LVEF was markedly increased for a previous history of myocardial infarction (RR 3.3, p < 0.0001) and a pathological Q-wave in resting ECG (RR 2.4, p < 0.0001). All associations found between depressed LVEF and exercise test results were poor, and of little value for discriminating patients with depressed LVEF. Thus, clinical data appear to be better markers of low LVEF than the information obtained from the exercise test.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Heart rate index: an indicator of left ventricular ejection fraction. Comparison of left ventricular ejection fraction and variables assessed by exercise test in patients studied early after acute myocardial infarction.

The present study compares the variables assessed by standard exercise test with the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) measured by multigated radionuclide angiocardiography (MUGA) in 77 patients early after myocardial infarction. The exercise test and MUGA were performed within two weeks after the myocardial infarction. A significant correlation (Spearman's correlation coefficient rs, p less than 0.05) was found between LVEF at rest and the following variables assessed at exercise test: 1) the heart rate at rest, 2) rise in heart rate, 3) ratio between maximal heart rate and heart rate at rest, 4) rise in systolic blood pressure, 5) rate pressure product at rest, 6) rise in rate pressure product, 7) ratio (rHR) between maximal rate pressure product and rate pressure product at rest, 8) total exercise time. The heart rate was corrected for effects caused by age (heart index (HR%)) and a significant correlation was found between 1) the HR% at rest, 2) the rise in HR% and the LVEF. A simple method to identify patients with an abnormal LVEF is described.

Adult↗

Value of negative predischarge exercise testing in identifying patients at low risk after acute myocardial infarction treated by systemic thrombolysis.

Although thrombolytic therapy reduces mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), it is associated with a greater incidence of successive coronary events, and there is still no ideal diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for such patients. The present study verifies the value of negative predischarge exercise testing in identifying low-risk patients treated with thrombolysis after AMI. One hundred fifty-seven consecutive patients with an uncomplicated clinical course underwent maximal or symptom-limited exercise testing (Bruce treadmill protocol) within 15 days of AMI in the absence of therapy. The location of the AMI was anterior in 51 patients, inferior in 85 and non-Q-wave in 21. All of the patients were followed for 6 months. Death and nonfatal reinfarction were considered as major coronary events, and the recurrence of angina as a minor event. Exercise test results were negative in 105 patients (group 1) and positive for angina or ST depression greater than or equal to 0.1 mV in 52 (group 2). No deaths occurred during follow-up; there were 3 reinfarctions (3%) and 7 cases (7%) of postinfarction angina in group 1, and 2 reinfarctions (4%) and 21 cases (40%) of postinfarction angina in group 2. By the end of follow-up, 90% of the patients with negative exercise test results were event-free (97% in the case of major events). These results show that thrombolytic therapy does not affect the value of negative postinfarction exercise testing in identifying low-risk patients.

Adult↗

[Dobutamine stress echocardiography in patients with stable chronic angina and a low- or medium-risk on exercise testing: usefulness for assessing long-term prognosis].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The ability of stress echocardiography to provide prognostic information that supplements that obtainable from clinical data and exercise electrocardiography is still controversial. Our aim was to determine whether dobutamine stress echocardiography provides additional information on long-term prognosis after conventional exercise testing has indicated that a patient with chronic stable angina has a low or intermediate risk of a cardiac event. PATIENTS AND METHOD: The study included consecutive patients with stable angina who were not found to be at high risk on a previous exercise test. All patients underwent dobutamine stress echocardiography. The mean follow- up period was 4.5+/-1.76 years. The single combined end-point was defined as death due to cardiac disease, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for unstable angina. Multivariate analysis was used to identify independent predictors of cardiac events. RESULTS: There were 24 (19%) cardiac events in the 124 participants: four deaths due to cardiac disease, 10 nonfatal myocardial infarctions, and 10 hospitalizations for unstable angina. Associations were found between a higher event rate during follow-up and previous myocardial infarction, Duke treadmill score, and the detection of regional wall motion abnormalities indicative of multivessel disease by stress echocardiography. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with stable angina who have undergone an exercise test that indicates that they have a low or intermediate risk of cardiac events, dobutamine stress echocardiography provides additional prognostic information to that obtainable from clinical data and exercise testing.

Adult↗

Exercise testing in patients with microvascular angina.

The widespread use of exercise testing for the detection of myocardial ischemia in patients suspected of having coronary artery disease led to the detection of ischemic changes in many subjects who subsequently were found to have angiographically normal epicardial vessels--the false positive response. Such a result is usually interpreted as indicating that the subject's chest pain is of noncardiac origin. For the past several years, we have studied the mechanism of pain resembling angina that occurs in patients with normal epicardial coronary arteries demonstrated by angiography; we believe these studies have shed some light on this problem. Patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries who present because of a history of angina-like pain and/or ischemic changes detected during exercise electrocardiogram testing were evaluated by measuring great cardiac vein flow (under baseline conditions and after cardiac pacing, with and without intravenous administration of ergonovine) and by radionuclide angiography before and during exercise. We found that a substantial number of these subjects showed inadequate coronary vasodilator reserve and had exercise-induced left ventricular dysfunction suggestive of myocardial ischemia. We concluded from our results that there is a distinct clinical syndrome of myocardial ischemia caused by abnormal resistance responses of the prearteriolar coronary microvasculature. We now refer to this syndrome as microvascular angina. In a series of 115 patients with documented microvascular angina, we also found that only 10% had ischemic ST changes with exercise testing (2% of the men and 17% of the women developed ischemic ST segment changes).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Angina Pectoris↗

Jogging in place. Evaluation of a simplified exercise test.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate jogging in place as an electrocardiographic exercise test. Jogging in place continuously recorded via an ordinary single-channel electrocardiograph was compared with the Bruce treadmill protocol with a three-channel monitor and recorder in 141 cases with a wide spectrum of chest complaints. Agreement for the presence or absence of electrocardiographic ischemia (ST-segment displacement greater than or equal to 1 mm at 80 ms from the J point, or U-wave inversion) for the two tests was observed in 91 percent of the cases (95 percent confidence intervals: 86 percent to 95.5 percent). One hundred of the previous cases with paired electrocardiographic exercise tests were compared with the presence of reversible defects on exercise myocardial thallium-201 scintigraphy. The electrocardiographic ischemia had a similar correct classification rate in both methods (83 percent with jogging in place and 85 percent with Bruce treadmill protocol; not significant) against the finding of scintigraphic ischemia. This was also true for 52 cases having selective coronary arteriography. The correct classification rate was 54 percent (28/52) with jogging in place and 48 percent (25/52) with Bruce treadmill protocol (not significant). Given the safety and the easy applicability, even in older persons, this simplified test can be recommended as a valid alternative to the established multistage exercise tests.

Adult↗

Nuclear exercise testing and the management of coronary artery disease.

Three hundred seventy-eight patients referred for nuclear exercise testing were classified using demographics and symptoms into low, intermediate, and high coronary disease likelihood categories. These likelihood groups constituted 15%, 41%, and 15% of referrals, respectively. Patients with prior infarction or disease at angiography (proven disease) made up the remaining 29% of patients. Only 2% of low likelihood patients had typical angina, but physicians diagnosed coronary disease in 64%, prescribed antianginal therapy in 50%, and were considering catheterization in 28% of these patients, all as frequently as for patients with intermediate or high likelihoods for disease. Patients with proven disease were treated differently in that 79% were receiving antianginal therapy and 56% were considered for catheterization (p less than 0.001). Nuclear exercise test results reduced the perceived need for catheterization in all groups, on average by 49%. Nuclear exercise tests are a standard by which patients are managed, sometimes substituting for the traditional role of the history in physician decision making.

Bayes Theorem↗

A negative finding in an exercise test is reliable among elderly people: a follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is very common among elderly people. OBJECTIVE: To specify the diagnostic value of bicycle exercise tests conducted for elderly patients by trained general practitioners in primary health care. METHODS: We performed a 2-year follow-up study at the Kangasala Health Centre, Finland. The study population comprised all patients at least 60 years old (n = 311) suspected of having CHD without prior diagnosis who were examined by an exercise test carried out by trained general practitioners during a period of 3 years. Specificity and sensitivity as well as positive and negative predictive values of the tests were calculated based on whether or not the participants had a diagnosis of CHD by the end of the follow-up period. The numbers of patients referred for coronary angiography and bypass operation were registered. For analysis, the patients were divided into two age categories: 60-69 years and >or=70 years. RESULTS: A negative finding in the test proved very reliable: CHD manifested in only 3% of these cases in both age groups. The specificity of the test was 72% in the group 60-69 years and 66% in the group >or=70 years; the sensitivity values were 81 and 67%, respectively. The positive predictive values were 26 and 12%, the negative predictive value was 97% in both age groups. 1 in 4 patients yielding a positive finding eventually underwent coronary angiography and 1 in 6 patients coronary bypass surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise tests may predict the clinical outcome of CHD among elderly patients. A negative finding in an exercise test is very reliable.

Aged↗