Exercise parameters for the prediction of post-training increase in exercise tolerance in patient with stable angina pectoris

Twenty cases with effort angina underwent exercise training for a mean follow-up period of 38 weeks. Various parameters were investigated to clarify whether or not such parameters can be used to predict an increase in exercise tolerance of patients with effort angina. The increase of exercise tolerance after training was found to be related to a reduction of the myocardial oxygen demand at a given external work load. The maximal heart rate (max HR) the maximal systolic blood pressure (max SBP) and the maximal rate-pressure product (max RPP) could not predict the post-training increase in exercise tolerance. Before training, the maximal oxygen intake (VO2max) was found to be lower, and the HR/VO2max and the SBP/VO2max were higher in the group (11 patients) which showed a good response to the exercise program (effective group) than those in the group (9 patients) which did not (unchanged group). Before training, the HR/VO2max and the SBP/VO2max in the effective group were also higher than those of 96 healthy adults. On the other hand, the HR/VO2max and the SBP/VO2max in the unchanged group were not different from those of the healthy adults throughout the training. It is useful to compare the values of the HR/VO2max and the SBP/VO2max of patients with effort angina to those of healthy adults for the prediction of post-training increase in exercise tolerance.