EXERCISE STRESS TESTS AFTER CARDIAC TRANSPLANTATION

The incidence of coronary artery disease in allografts after heart transplant is approximately 20% at 2 years and up to 50 to 60% at 5 years.1,2 A noninvasive assessment of myocardial ischemia in these patients would be useful. Only 1 report has addressed the usefulness of graded exercise tests for the detection of ischemia in patients with heart transplants, and these investigators showed a low sensitivity and predictive value.3 The purpose of this investigation was to further evaluate the concept that graded exercise testing may not be a useful diagnostic method in such patients. © 1993.