Exercise testing in patients with chest pain to sumatriptan.
OBJECTIVE
In order to assess whether chest pain attributed to sumatriptan is associated with abnormalities on cardiac exercise testing, we performed a case-control study.


METHODS
Cases were selected as consumers of sumatriptan who reported sumatriptan associated chest pain. A reference group was selected randomly from consumers of sumatriptan with the same GP as the case, who reported no chest pain after use of sumatriptan. If possible, controls were matched for age (within 5-year groups) and gender.


RESULTS
In a total of 74 cases and 55 controls symptom-limited exercise tests were performed. Besides a small difference in age, there were no differences in basic characteristics between cases and controls. Three cases had ST-depression on ECG during exercise. However, none of the variables measured during exercise testing differed significantly between cases and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of abnormal exercise tests in patients with sumatriptan-induced chest pain is low, and not statistically different from patients without chest pain after intake of sumatriptan. Routine performance of exercise testing in patients with sumatriptan-associated chest pain is not recommended.
Ottervanger
J P
JP
Department of Cardiology, Hospital De Weezenlanden, JW Zwolle, The Netherlands.
Hoorntje
J C
JC
Valkenburg
H A
HA
Grobbee
D E
DE
Stricker
B H
BH
D000328:Adult; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000175:diagnosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018170:Sumatriptan / Q000009:adverse effects*
D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D018170:Sumatriptan