Arrhythmias and symptoms during treadmill testing three weeks after myocardial infarction in 100 patients.

Treadmill tests with continuous electrocardiographic recording were carried out 3 weeks after the acute episode began on 0OO patients with myocardial infarction. Ventricular premature beats were recorded in 3 patients at rest immediately before the test, and in I9 during and/or after the test. The test led to a change of treatment for i6 patients. No severe arrhythmias or reinfarctions were induced by the test. Twenty patients developed angina pectoris. The incidence of ventricular premature beats during the test was higher in the patients with arrhythmia during the acute phase (O1/37) than in those without (7/55). This difference is not statistically significant. The treadmill test proved to be a sensitive method for demonstrating a tendency to arrhythmia in patients with recent infarction. It permits observation of the patient during exercise similar to that performed during rehabilitation.