title: Nonlimited exercise test combined with high-dose dipyridamole for thallium-201 myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography in coronary artery disease.
abstract: Clinical, electrocardiographic, and thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography data were evaluated in 397 consecutive patients divided into 3 groups according to coronary hyperemic stimulation: 186 patients (group I; Ex) had maximal symptom-limited exercise ergometric stress testing, 93 patients (group II; Dip) had intravenous dipyridamole (0.7 to 0.8 mg/kg) stress testing, and 118 patients (group III; Dip+Ex) had dipyridamole (0.7 to 0.8 mg/kg) plus nonlimited (i.e., symptom-limited) exercise stress testing, achieving a maximal workload (mean +/- SD) of 102 +/- 37 W. Clinical tolerance was higher in Ex than in Dip groups (p < 0.01), and tended to be higher in Dip+Ex than in Dip groups (p = NS). Image quality--as judged by signal-to-noise ratios--was superior in Ex and Dip+Ex groups when compared with the Dip group (p < 0.01). Chest pain and electrocardiographic positivity were more frequent in the Dip+Ex group than in the Dip group (p < 0.05), despite more extensive coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Dip group; and reversible scintigraphic defects were more frequent in Dip+Ex versus Dip (p < 0.01) and in Ex versus Dip groups (p < 0.05) in patients with established CAD, as well as for the whole group. We conclude that, in patients unable to achieve 85% of their maximal predicted heart rate, the combination of high-dose dipyridamole plus nonlimited exercise stress testing is superior to dipyridamole stress testing alone, and comparable to maximal exercise testing.
authors.affiliation: Service de Medecine Nucléaire, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Daou
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Le Guludec
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faraggi
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Foult
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lebtahi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cohen-Solal
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Assayag
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004176:Dipyridamole / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D004176:Dipyridamole