[en] 34 patients (31 of whom were coronary heart disease sufferers as proven by angiography) and further 3 patients failing to show symptoms of this disorder were subjected to radionuclide ventriculography carried out with the aid of ^99mTc-labelled erythrocytes in such a way that examinations at rest were directly followed by maximum loading tests. In a second series of examinations a step-up procedure was adopted where initial recordings at rest were followed by preliminary exercise tests using only 25% of the maximum load. The parameters chosen to evaluate the results were heart rate, ejection fraction, maximum velocity of changes in volume, endsystolic and enddiastolic volumes (ESV and EDV) as well as cardiac output. In 23 patients the preliminary exercise test revealed an insufficient increase or even decrease of the ejection fraction that was associated with delayed volume changes, increases in ESV and EDV as well as reductions in cardiac output and in 21 patients it became evident during those examinations that the onset of stenocardiac complaints was preceded by markedly pronounced function disorders in the left ventricle. It was concluded from these findings that the step-up procedure followed here may in some patients provide additional information on the level of myocardial performance. It can thus be assumed to contribute considerably to higher diagnostic accuracy, although it requires no more time than conventional exercise tests and is not associated with additional radiation exposure. (TRV)