Prevalence of ventricular premature beats during stress testing in patients with exercise hypertension and the association with a positive family history of established hypertension.

The prevalence of multiple ventricular premature beats during exercise testing was examined in 50 untreated patients with exaggerated systolic blood pressure response to exercise and 54 control subjects. Statistical analysis of the results showed significantly more frequent episodes of repetitive ventricular premature beats in the exercise hypertension group (this was present both in normotensive and mildly hypertensive individuals at rest). We also demonstrated that among normotensives there was a higher prevalence of exercise hypertension in those with a family history of established hypertension.