OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic value of chronotropic incompetence (CI) in coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: Two hundred thirty three patients who underwent the electrocardiogram treadmill exercise test (TET) and coronary angiography (CAG) were included in this study. CAG was used as the standard of diagnosing CHD. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CI were compared with the traditional index of TET. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CI (81.7%, 64.3%, and 71.2% respectively) and those of the traditional index (73.1%, 69.3%, and 70.8% respectively, P> 0.05), while the specificity (87.9%) and accuracy (79.4%) were significantly higher after combining CI and the traditional index than that of the traditional index alone (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the sensitivity (P> 0.05). CONCLUSION: CI was a usefull index in diagnosing CHD. CI combined with the traditional index of TET can significantly improve the specificity and accuracy of TET for CHD.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic value of chronotropic incompetence (CI) in coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: Two hundred thirty three patients who underwent the electrocardiogram treadmill exercise test (TET) and coronary angiography (CAG) were included in this study. CAG was used as the standard of diagnosing CHD. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CI were compared with the traditional index of TET. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CI (81.7%, 64.3%, and 71.2% respectively) and those of the traditional index (73.1%, 69.3%, and 70.8% respectively, P> 0.05), while the specificity (87.9%) and accuracy (79.4%) were significantly higher after combining CI and the traditional index than that of the traditional index alone (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the sensitivity (P> 0.05). CONCLUSION: CI was a usefull index in diagnosing CHD. CI combined with the traditional index of TET can significantly improve the specificity and accuracy of TET for CHD.