title: Treadmill exercise testing of asymptomatic men and women without evidence of heart disease.
abstract: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of differences in performance including differences in ST-T wave changes between healthy men and women submitted to an exercise stress test. Two hundred (45.4%) men and 241 (54.6%) women (mean age: 38.7 +/- 11.0 years) were submitted to an exercise stress test. Physiologic and electrocardiographic variables were compared by the Student t-test and the chi-square test. To test the hypothesis of differences in ST-segment changes, data were ranked with functional models based on weighted least squares. To evaluate the influence of gender and age on the diagnosis of ST-segment abnormality, a logistic model was adjusted; P < 0.05 was considered to be significant. Rate-pressure product, duration of exercise and estimated functional capacity were higher in men (P < 0.05). Sixteen (6.7%) women and 9 (4.5%) men demonstrated ST-segment upslope >or=0.15 mV or downslope >or=0.10 mV; the difference was not statistically significant. Age increase of one year added 4% to the chance of upsloping of segment ST >or=0.15 mV or downsloping of segment ST >or=0.1 mV (P = 0.03; risk ratio = 1.040, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.002-1.080). Heart rate recovery was higher in women (P < 0.05). The chance of women showing an increase of systolic blood pressure <or=30 mmHg was 85% higher (P = 0.01; risk ratio = 1.85, 95%CI = 1.1-3.05). No significant difference in the frequency of ST-T wave changes was observed between men and women. Other differences may be related to different physical conditioning.
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Coração, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. wchalela@incor.usp.br
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Chalela
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.forename: A C P
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Moffa
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mansur
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult