Association of physical fitness and transient myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary artery disease.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between physical fitness and transient myocardial ischemia (TMI) in the laboratory and during daily life, in a sample of coronary patients with a recent positive exercise test.


METHODS
47 patients with coronary disease (CAD) participated in laboratory mental and exercise stress testing and 48-hour outpatient Holter monitoring after being withdrawn from ant-ischemic medications. During laboratory testing, left ventricular performance was assessed by radionuclide ventriculography. Physical fitness was assessed by measurement of oxygen consumption during symptom-limited exercise treadmill testing.


RESULTS
Higher physical fitness subjects were less likely to exhibit wall-motion abnormalities in response to mental stress (P < .05), and to exercise stress (P < .05) testing. They also had smaller decreases in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in response to mental stress than less fit subjects (P .056), and exhibited a mean increase in LVEF during exercise, compared to the less fit subjects who exhibited a decrease in LVEF (P < .02). Moreover, higher fit subjects exhibited fewer episodes of TMI (P < .04), for a shorter duration (P < .04), and less total ischemic burden (P < .04) during Holter monitoring.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that within a population of CAD patients, higher levels of physical fitness are associated with less TMI assessed in the laboratory and during routine activities of daily living.
Jiang
W
W
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 22710, USA.
Trauner
M A
MA
Coleman
R E
RE
Waugh
R A
RA
Hanson
M W
MW
Frid
D J
DJ
Phillips
B G
BG
Morris
J J
JJ
O'Connor
C
C
Blumenthal
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012008:Recurrence; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left