Physical Stress Test Research Articles

Patterns of Adherence to a Physical Conditioning Program

This study analyzes correlates of adherence to a physical fitness regimen. The sample consisted of adults who had volunteered to take a physical fitness stress test at a sports physiology laboratory. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to persons who had taken the stress test over the past 5 years. The rationale for the study was an attempt to develop a profile of the prospective dropout from a physical fitness program in order to permit special intervention to enhance the probability of adherence. The findings showed that 31% of the persons in our sample were basically inactive subsequent to the stress test. Our set of 11 predictor variables was able to explain 33% of the variance in physical activity.

Cardiac Reserve Index Score

Anesthesia or surgical operation has high risk of re-infarction in acute phase of post myocardial infarction (MI) period (Steen & Tarham 1978). When emergency operation becomes necessary in these critically ill patients, proper evaluation of patient cardiac state is required to avoid the recurrence.Cardiac reserve index (CRI) score, comprising patient physical activity and stress testing, was examined in 9 patients with early stage of MI (within 6 months) to evaluate the revasculization. ECG was monitored on ST segment changes during the test. If impossible to test, daily changes of ST segment were substituted for the test. In this assessment, all the patients were scored 1 to 2 and had no recurrence of MI after operation. The results, suggesting that there is a significant correlation between the CRI score and re-infarction, warrant this scoring as a first test for acute MI patient prior to anesthesia. Furthermore, we noted the efficacy of vasodilators, e. g. nitroglycerin, or nifedipine. This agrees to the latest reports on those pharmaceutical effect. These drugs should be used in anesthesia as prophylaxis.

Hemodynamics before and after physical endurance training in patients with myocardial infarction under various physical and psychomotor stress tests.

This hemodynamic study was done in 23 post myocardial infarction patients. The peripheral and central hemodynamics were examined by repeated ergometer tests, heart volume estimations, and heart catheterizations under various provocative techniques such as dynamic bicycle ergometer load, static hand grip load, volume load, atrial pacing, and psychomotor stress. After a 5-week period of endurance training we found a marked and statistically significant increase (40%) of maximal work tolerance and a significant decrease (10%) in heart rate and atrial blood pressure at rest and on equal levels of work load. No significant influence was seen on central (pulmonary) pressure readings at rest or on equal levels of work load beside the higher venous oxygen extraction. These peripheral effects of physical training were seen for all provocative tests, and also for those which were not trained as static and volume load and psychomotor stress.