Early exercise after coronary stenting is safe.
OBJECTIVE
In this study, we sought to assess safety of symptom-limited exercise stress tests the day after coronary stenting.


BACKGROUND
Isolated cases of coronary stent thrombosis have been linked to early exercise stress testing, thereby questioning the safety of unrestricted physical activity after the coronary procedure.


METHODS
At a single center, 1,000 patients were randomized to a symptom-limited stress test the day after coronary stenting or no stress test. The antiplatelet regimen consisted of acetylsalicylic acid and postprocedural ticlopidine or clopidogrel. The primary end point of the study was the incidence of clinical stent thrombosis at 14 days. The secondary end point was the occurrence of access site complications.


RESULTS
Clinical stent thrombosis occurred in five patients (1%) undergoing stress test and in five patients (1%) randomized to no stress test (p = 1.0). Access site complications were detected in 4% and 5.2% of cases, respectively (p = 0.37).


CONCLUSIONS
Symptom-limited exercise stress testing the day after coronary stenting does not increase the risk of clinical stent thrombosis or access site complications. Further investigations on safety of early vigorous exercise after coronary stenting in a non-supervised setting are warranted.
Roffi
Marco
M
Division of Cardiology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Wenaweser
Peter
P
Windecker
Stephan
S
Mehta
Haresh
H
Eberli
Franz R
FR
Seiler
Christian
C
Fleisch
Martin
M
Garachemani
Ali
A
Pedrazzini
Giovanni B
GB
Hess
Otto M
OM
Meier
Bernhard
B
D000368:Aged; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000628:therapy; D000075202:Contraindications; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015607:Stents; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology