[Evaluation criteria for load tests with ischemic heart disease patients with intact coronary arteries and with ones affected by arteriosclerosis].

Examination of 65 patients with ischemic heart disease (61 males and 4 females) whose ages ranged from 29 to 59 was conducted. Selective coronarography demonstrated stenosing atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries in 34 patients and intact coronary vessels in 31. Correlation analysis of the exercise tolerance value depending on the degree of the overall affection of the heart arteries revealed a reverse dependence (r = -0.68) between these indices. The criterion for discontinuing exercise tolerance tests on a bicycle ergometer in patients with involvement of the coronary arteries in atherosclerosis were changes in the ECG in 67.6% and an attack of angina pectoris in 85,3% of cases. In the group of individuals with intact coronary vessels and positive exercise tolerance test 41.7% had changes on the ECG and 79,6% had an attack of angina. It is shown that in patients with ischemic heart disease whose coronary arteries are intact or involved in atherosclerosis, angina pectoris is more sensitive as a criterion of myocardial ischemia than the changes on the ECG.