Correlation of ventricular ectopic activity and exercise-related ST-segment changes.

Same-day exercise electrocardiography and ambulatory electrocardiographic (Holter) monitoring were performed on 167 patients, all of whom had suffered myocardial infarctions over the past 12 years. A significant correlation (P less than 0,0001) was found when comparing exercise testing for ischaemic ST-segment changes and the number of complexity of ventricular arrhythmias found on Holter monitoring. Two different methods of arrhythmia classification were used and the results were similar. The value of simultaneous Holter monitoring and exercise electrocardiography to detect 'late' exercise-related ventricular arrhythmias was not found to be sufficient to warrant their widespread simultaneous use.