Effect of nutritional composition of meals on exercise tests in patients with ischaemic heart disease.
BACKGROUND
Patients with ischaemic heart disease have to perform exercise tests repeatedly. It is not clear if a small meal eaten before the test might influence it and if the meal's composition is important.


METHODS
We performed a double blind, randomised, crossover study on 20 volunteers with documented ischaemic heart disease known to have positive exercise tests. Each had three symptom limited exercise tests done one hour after a 200 ml meal, rich in either fat, carbohydrate or protein. Each postprandial test was compared to a fasting exercise test performed just before the meal.


RESULTS
Postprandial blood pressure, time to angina and to peak exercise and double product at onset of ST-depression were not significantly altered by any of the meals. Heart rate was slightly increased only after the fat meal.


CONCLUSIONS
The nutritional composition of a small meal eaten an hour before an exercise test has no clinically important impact on the results of the test in patients with stable angina pectoris.
Blondheim
David S
DS
Department of Cardiology, Rebecca Sieff Hospital, Safed, Israel. blond@netvision.net.il
Yosef
Avigail
A
Marmor
Alon T
AT
D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000503:physiopathology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019518:Postprandial Period / Q000502:physiology; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D011188:Potassium