PURPOSE Acute myocardial infarction during or soon after vigorous physical exertion is frequently due to an occlusive clot. Therefore, hemostatic (thrombotic/fibrinolytic) responses to submaximal and maximal exercise have important clinical relevance. Although dynamic, upper-body exercise is commonly recommended for the rehabilitation of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), few data are available regarding fibrinolytic responses to submaximal and maximal arm versus leg ergometry in patients with CAD. METHODS Eighteen patients (14 men, 4 women) with CAD (mean ± SD age = 62.8 ± 10.1 years) completed 2 submaximal and 2 maximal arm and leg ergometer tests. Submaximal tests were performed at ∼ 65% of ergometer-specific VO2max for 20 minutes. Blood samples were drawn before, immediately after, and 1-hour after exercise and analyzed for tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) activity, and von Willebrand Factor (vWF) antigen. Changes in tPA, PAI-1, and vWF were assessed with repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS Results (mean ± SD) for PAI-1 activity, tPA antigen, and vWF antigen in response to submaximal and maximal arm and leg exercise are shown below.TableANOVA revealed a trend for higher PAI-1 activity post maximal arm exercise versus post maximal leg exercise. A significant effect for time for all three variables in response to maximal and submaximal arm and leg exercise was also noted. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest no significant difference between arm and leg exercise at both submaximal and maximal power outputs with respect to thrombotic and fibrinolytic responses.