title: The exercise test that indicates a low risk of events. Differences in prognostic significance between patients with chronic stable angina and patients with unstable angina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this prospective study was to determine the differences in the prognostic significance of an exercise test (ET) that indicates a low risk of events (low-risk exercise test [LRET]) between patients with unstable angina (UA) and those with chronic stable angina (CSA).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  It is not known whether the prognostic significance of an LRET is influenced by the disease; that is the reason for performing exercise testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients not presenting with high-risk criteria were submitted to a prognostic ET. The ET was performed by patients with CSA and patients with primary UA stabilized with medical therapy. Medical therapy was planned for all patients. A combined end point was defined as cardiac death, nonfatal acute myocardial infarction or hospital admission for UA. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the independent predictors of events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low-risk criteria were fulfilled by 105 patients with UA and 86 patients with CSA. The mean follow-up time was 347 +/- 229 days. The event rate was higher in the UA group than in the CSA group (28% vs. 9%, p = 0.001). The CSA group showed worse ET results. Performance of ET by patients with UA was the principal predictor of events (odds ratio 4.2, p = 0.0005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among patients who underwent an LRET, those with UA had a rate of events significantly higher than that of patients with CSA, despite the worse results of ET in patients with CSA.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Unit, Hospital Santa María del Rosell, Murcia, Spain. r.florenciano@retemail.es
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Florenciano-Sánchez
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Castillo-Moreno
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Molina-Laborda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Pascual
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: García-Urruticoechea
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Egea-Beneyto
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Villanueva
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ortega-Bernal
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015996:Survival Rate