Diagnosis of silent myocardial ischemia using ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring with pedometer, analysis of heart rate, and ST loop in ambulatory electrocardiogram.

BACKGROUND

It has been suggested that episodes of silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) might influence the prognosis of patients with ischemic heart disease, as its consequences are similar to those of myocardial ischemia accompanied by pain. Ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) is generally employed in diagnosis as well as in evaluation of clinical efficacy in patients with SMI, but problems related to its application remain because of the difficulty in differentiating between nonischemic and ischemic ST-segment depressions and because of the absence of data concerning body movement.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We developed a method for simultaneously recording onto magnetic tape both the ECG chart and pedometer count, as well as a program which enables semi-automatic analysis of the heart rate (HR)-ST relationship. This new method was employed to record ambulatory ECG along with pedometer count for a total of 70 patients, consisting of 53 with coronary heart disease who were shown to have ischemic heart disease, and 17 with various heart diseases in whom coronary angiography revealed no coronary stenosis. The HR-ST relationship was assessed for periods during which steps were recorded by the pedometer, that is, when patients were confirmed to have been under exertion effort. Patients demonstrating the following findings were diagnosed as true positive for SMI: the ST segment level did not decline until HR increased to a certain threshold, and the rate of change in the ST-segment level noted thereafter was -0.025 mm/beats/min or lower; or the ST-segment depression induced by effort continued even after discontinuation of exercise, after which time HR began to decrease, and the HR-ST loop consequently described a counterclockwise rotation. Evaluation of the HR-ST relationship based on these criteria revealed excellent results, as demonstrated by values of 79.2% for sensitivity and 94% for specificity.

CONCLUSION

Our newly developed method of assessment of the HR-ST relationship via analysis of simultaneous data from an ambulatory ECG and a pedometer appears to be time saving, highly objective, and useful with regard to the diagnosis of SMI and evaluation of the therapeutic effect of drugs in patients with ischemic heart disease.