title: Treadmill exercise testing in asymptomatic chronic smokers to detect latent coronary heart disease.
abstract: The treadmill exercise test has been performed in 50 chronic smokers and 50 non-smokers (93 males and 7 females) who were not having any clinical or electrocardiographic manifestation of ischemic heart disease. The test was positive in 18% chronic smokers and 4% in non-smokers, the chances of positivity of stress test was 4-5 times greater in chronic smokers than in non-smokers. The duration of smoking and number of/cigarettes/bidis smoked per day were directly proportional to the incidence of a positive stress test. There was no significant difference in the incidence of a positive exercise test amongst purely cigarette smokers (17.64%), purely bidi smoker, (16.16%), and in both bidi and cigarette smokers (20%). The study, therefore, suggests that chronic heavy smoking is more frequently associated with asymptomatic ischemic heart disease, as compared to non-smokers and stress testing of persons with coronary risk factors important for detection of latent IHD.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Nayak
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gett
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Sharda
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Misra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects