May early exercise testing after myocardial infarction predict the extent of coronary artery disease?

To determine whether exercise testing performed soon after myocardial infarction may predict the degree of coronary artery disease, 78 patients performed stress testing and coronary angiography 15 +/- 5 and 64 +/- 35 days, respectively, after myocardial infarction. Out of 34 patients with a positive test, 22 (65%) demonstrated a multivessel disease, and 37 (84%) out of 44 patients with a negative test had normal coronary angiograms or single vessel disease (p = .0006). In addition to stress testing, no clinical parameter considered (infarct location, heart failure and cardiomegaly) was predictive of the extent of coronary artery disease.