Echocardiographic study of left ventricular posterior wall motion in angina pectoris.

Echocardiographic study of left ventricular posterior wall motion was performed on 22 healthy subjects, on 7 cardiac patients without angina, and on 12 patients with angina pectoris, at rest and during supine exercise on a bicycle ergometer. Resting values did not differ significantly between patients with angina and control subjects. During submaximal ergometric exercise, the systolic excursion of the left ventricular posterior wall as well as the maximal systolic and diastolic velocities increased considerably in all groups. The degree of the changes was essentially similar in patients with angina and in healthy subjects. During chest pain, however, all three parameters of posterior wall motion decreased markedly, especially the systolic excursion, which fell well below the resting level. This phenomenon is attributed to the reduction of the work of the heart during chest pain.