Exercise-induced S-wave prolongation in left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis.
Myocardial ischemia may decrease conduction velocity and produce QRS prolongation in the surface electrocardiogram. In cases with normal intraventricular conduction, areas of the myocardium contributing to the development of the S wave receive blood from all 3 major coronary arteries, whereas in left anterior hemiblock or right bundle branch block, most of the blood supply to the areas of the myocardium contributing to the development of the S wave is from the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. To test the hypothesis that the S wave will be prolonged with exercise only in patients with LAD coronary artery stenosis and left anterior hemiblock or right bundle branch block, 88 patients with normal intraventricular conduction, 66 with left anterior hemiblock and 36 with right bundle branch block were studied. Sixty-four, 32 and 21 patients had LAD, right and left circumflex coronary artery stenoses, respectively. In patients with normal coronary arteries, S-wave duration decreased with exercise regardless of the status of ventricular conduction. In patients with coronary artery disease and normal intraventricular conduction, the S wave was prolonged slightly with exercise, but in those with left anterior hemiblock and right bundle branch block, it was prolonged significantly (12.5 +/- 6 and 10.4 ms, respectively) only in those with LAD, but not in those with circumflex or right coronary artery stenosis. S-wave prolongation in patients with LAD coronary artery stenosis and left anterior hemiblock or right bundle branch block most likely is related to exercise-induced ischemia in the areas of the myocardium contributing to the development of the S wave.
Michaelides
A P
AP
Department of Cardiology, Athens Medical School, Greece.
Boudoulas
H
H
Vyssoulis
G P
GP
Skouros
C
C
Toutouzas
P K
PK
D001794:Blood Pressure; D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged