Ventricular premature contractions during treadmill stress testing were associated with a 6.4% annual incidence of new coronary events compared to 1.7% in patients without VPCs or ST changes.
Cohort (n=6,500)
Does the presence of ventricular premature contractions during treadmill stress testing predict future coronary events in patients evaluated for cardiovascular disease?
Ventricular premature contractions observed during treadmill stress testing represent a definite risk factor for future coronary events in patients with known or suspected cardiovascular disease.
Absolute Event Rate: 6.4% vs 1.7%
Follow-up data on future coronary events was collected on 6,500 patients who had undergone stress testing; 1,327 of these exhibited ventricular premature contractions (VPCs) associated with one or more phases of treadmill stress testing (TSTs). Eighty-three percent of all patients tested had known or suspected cardiovascular disease. The annual incidence of new coronary events (myocardial infarction, angina, cardiac death) during a five year follow-up was 1.7% among 1,067 patients without VPCs or ischemic ST changes, 6.4% in 758 patients with VPCs alone, 9.5% among 609 patients with ischemic ST changes alone and 11.4% in 569 patients with VPCs plus ischemic ST changes. The significance of VPCs associated with the TSTs rests largely upon the clinical status of the persons tested. VPCs observed among patients referred for TSTs for the evaluation of known or suspected cardiovascular disease, with or without ischemic ST abnormalities, represent a definite risk factor for future coronary events.
Udall et al. (Thu,) conducted a cohort in Patients undergoing stress testing (n=6,500). Ventricular premature contractions (VPCs) during treadmill stress testing vs. No VPCs or ischemic ST changes was evaluated on New coronary events (myocardial infarction, angina, cardiac death). Ventricular premature contractions during treadmill stress testing were associated with a 6.4% annual incidence of new coronary events compared to 1.7% in patients without VPCs or ST changes.