Exercise electrocardiography (ExECG) is widely employed to assess patients for coronary artery disease but it has limited diagnostic accuracy. Many patients with positive (ischemic) tests based on exercise-induced ST depression undergo secondary evaluation by noninvasive stress imaging. We hypothesized that high functional capacity in patients with positive ExECG could predict: (1) negative results in secondary evaluation by exercise echocardiography (ESE) or myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) and (2) low mortality on late follow-up.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough exercise electrocardiography (ExECG) is commonly used to detect coronary artery disease, the diagnostic accuracy and reliability of positive (ischemic) results of ExECG in low- and intermediate-risk populations are limited. Accordingly, many patients with positive results of ExECG undergo secondary evaluation using noninvasive stress imaging such as exercise echocardiography. Functional capacity is a strong predictor of prognosis and, indirectly, of high-risk coronary artery disease.
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