Gold 195m in the assessment of the cold pressor test by first pass radionuclide ventriculography

First pass radionuclide ventriculography was performed with gold 195m in a sequential evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction during cold pressor stimulation. We studied 10 normal controls, 10 patients with angina pectoris who had proven coronary artery disease and normal left ventricular function during contrast angiography and 10 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy with normal coronary arteries and impaired left ventricular function at contrast angiography. Mean resting ejection fraction was similar in controls and patients with coronary heart disease (57 ± 2 vs 58 ± 3) but was significantly lower in the cardiomyopathic subjects (27 ± 4, P < 0.001). After 30 seconds cold pressor stimulation, mean left ventricular ejection fraction fell in the normal controls (57 ± 2 to 52 ± 2, P