[Safety of early cardiopulmonary exercise test in myocardial infarction patients with acute ST-elevation].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the safety of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) early after acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 302 patients who underwent CPET early after STEMI in a single exercise laboratory. Demographic data, presence of concomitant diseases, characteristics of AMI, angiography findings and the safety of CPET were evaluated.

RESULTS

41.7% of the tests were reported to have stopped earlier than expected. The most common limiting symptoms were generalized fatigue (67.5%). None of the tests terminated because of severe arrhythmia, syncope or sudden death. In contrast to patients with incomplete revascularization (IR), the rate of stopping earlier than expected was lower in complete revascularization (CR) patients (35.1% vs. 49.6%, P=0.040). After being adjusted by the subjects' demographic features, clinical characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors, IR (P=0.013, OR=1.869, 95%CI 1.139 to 3.067) and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD, P=0.018, OR=1.064, 95%CI 1.011 to 1.121) were independent risk factors for the limiting symptoms of CPET.

CONCLUSION

The experience of this laboratory shows that CPET is relatively safe in patients early after STEMI. IR and LVEDD are independent risk factors for the limiting symptoms of CPET.