Cardiopulmonary stress testing using ambulatory radionuclide monitoring system: The relationship between vascular endothelial function and cardiac response in patients with ischemic heart disease

The relationship in the title was studied with a new type ambulatory radionuclide monitoring system. Subjects were 12 male patients with ischemic heart diseases. After cardiac scintigraphy at rest of 99mTc-human serum albumin (740 MBq) with GE Mirenium, patients wore the C-VEST jacket (Capintec medset cardiolight), which consisted from 2 radioactivity detectors and Holter ECG recorder, and underwent the cardiopulmonary stress testing with Treadmill Ramp exercise to evaluate the anaerobic threshold (AT), VO2, left ventricular ejection flow (EF) and stroke volume (SV). Vascular endothelial function was recorded by ultrasonography of brachial artery by monitoring the flow-mediated dilation (FD). Mean EF at rest was 56% and there was no relationship between VO2 at rest or exercise and FD. However, the relationship between FD and change of SV or EF from rest to AT was recognized and thus FD was suggested to participate in cardiac function change at exercise of those patients. (K.H.)