Comparison of Arm and Treadmill Exercise at 85 % Predicted Maximum Heart Rate

N.L. COPLAN, M.D., G. W. GLEIM, Ph.D., M. SCANDURA, J. A. NICHOLAS, M.D.

Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, and the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Lenox ill Hospital, New York, New York

Both treadmill exercise and arm exercise are used for evaluating coronary artery disease, but arm exercise has lower diagnostic sensitivity. We compared the two exercise modalities with respect to the rate-pressure product at 85% predicted maximal heart rate, a parameter frequently used to denote performance of sufficient exercise to derive clinical conclusions. At this heart rate, treadmill exercise resulted in a significantly greater systemic oxygen consumption (2.7+/- .8 vs. 2.1 +/- .6 l/min) and rate-pressure product (30.6 +/- 4.4 x 10^3 vs. 28 +/- 3.3 x 10^3) than arm ergometry. An inability to generate sufficient imbalance of myocardial oxygen supply and demand may account for the relatively higher incidence of false negative exercise tests seen with arm ergometry, especially if the exercise test is stopped when the patient attains 85% predicted maximal heart rate.

Clin. Cardiol. 10, 655-657 (1987)