The safety of treadmill exercise stress testing in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.
BACKGROUND
Exercise stress testing in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms may cause enlargement or rupture of aneurysms.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the safety of treadmill exercise stress testing in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.


METHODS
Retrospective descriptive study.


METHODS
Tertiary care center.


METHODS
262 patients who had abdominal aortic aneurysms more than 4 cm in diameter and underwent treadmill exercise stress testing.


METHODS
Pain after stress testing, rupture of the aneurysm or death, aneurysm size, and exercise stress test results.


RESULTS
The average aneurysm diameter was 5.5 +/- 1.1 cm. One patient with a 6.1-cm aneurysm was found to have a contained rupture 12 hours after stress testing. The event rate for aneurysm rupture was 0.4% (95% CI, 0.0% to 2.1%). No deaths or other negative outcomes were documented.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite theoretical concerns, exercise stress testing of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms seems to be safe and is associated with a low incidence of acute adverse events.
Best
P J
PJ
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Tajik
A J
AJ
Gibbons
R J
RJ
Pellikka
P A
PA
D000368:Aged; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000209:etiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015983:Selection Bias