Value of recovery systolic blood pressure in diagnosis of coronary artery disease

ABSTRACT

In order to evaluate the diagnostic value of recovery systolic blood pressure changes in coronary artery disease [CAD], 30 male subjects complaining of chest pain had undergone both treadmill exercise test and coronary angiography, 19 had CAD [mean age = 48 years] and 11 were normal [mean age = 39 years]. The systolic blood pressure recovery ratios [R1, R2 and R3] were obtained by dividing recovery systolic blood pressure at 1, 2 and 3 minutes post exercise by peak exercise systolic blood pressure. The rate of decline in post exercise systolic blood pressure and in recovery ratios of CAD cases were slower than normal. During exercise there was no decrease in systolic blood pressure in CAD cases. The sensitivity of R1, R2 and R3 equal to or more than 1.0, 0.9 and 0.8 respectively were 63.2 percent, 94.7 percent and 94.7 percent while the specificity were 90.9 percent, 90.9 percent and 63.6 percent in comparison with 52.6 percent sensitivity and 81.8 percent specificity of S-T segment depression. A highly significant direct relationship was found between R1, R2 and R3 on one hand and the number of diseased vessels, on the other hand, while S-T segment depression showed nonsignificant correlation with diseased vessels. We can conclude that the recovery systolic blood pressure abnormalities are more sensitive and specific for CAD than exercise systolic blood pressure and S-T segment abnormalities