RESUMO
The patients in this study were divided into three groups. The first group included 34 patients [22males and 12 females with a mean age of 48 +/- 3.21 years] with documented microvascular angina [typical anginal pain, positive electrocardiography on exercise with ST-T segment depression >1 mm, abnormal perfusion scans, normal coronary angiography]. The second group included 27 patients [19 males and 8 females having a mean age of 50 +/- 4.1 years with documented coronary artery disease. The third group included 15 healthy subjects of the same age group as controls [8 males and 7 females, mean age was 47 +/- 6.26 years]. Moderate isometric exertion [one half-maximal effort in one minute] produced approximately one-third increase in the mean arterial pressure and 30% increase in heart rate in all studied groups. In conclusion, isometric exertion, in form of firm sustained hand grip, induced left ventricular diastolic filling indices abnormalities in patients with microvascular angina. Similar changes were observed in patients with established diagnosis of coronary artery disease. These changes are consistent with impaired ventricular relaxation and support a generalized left ventricular abnormality in patients with microvascular angina