title: Vasospastic angina: control of disease activity and efficacy of drug treatment using the prolonged hyperventilation test.
abstract: Sixteen consecutive patients with vasospastic angina underwent a control provocation test in the coronary care unit or the cardiac catheterization laboratory in order to evaluate the disease activity and the efficacy of long-term calcium antagonist treatment. In patients without angina at rest, the prolonged hyperventilation test was negative in 10/10 patients on calcium antagonist treatment (group A + B) and in 4/5 patients without medication (group C). The test was positive in 1/1 patient with angina at rest without medication (group D). However, the test provoked vasospastic angina in 1/5 patients who were asymptomatic without medication. In both the latter patients the prolonged hyperventilation test became negative after the restart of calcium antagonist treatment. During a mean follow-up period of 18 months (range 16-19) after the control hyperventilation test, no relapse of angina at rest, arrhythmias, syncopes, deaths or myocardial infarctions were registered. Thus, a negative test is compatible with low disease activity and/or efficacy of calcium antagonist treatment. Further, the test may reveal a subclinical tendency to coronary artery spasm.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000788:Angina Pectoris, Variant / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004874:Ergonovine; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006985:Hyperventilation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005082:Physical Exertion; D014700:Verapamil / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D014700:Verapamil; D009543:Nifedipine; D004874:Ergonovine