New Indices for Evaluating the Functional State in Patients with Angina Pectoris

Traditional indices used to evaluate the functional state in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) by testing under conditions of exercise take into account changes in the heart rate (HR), arterial pressure, and the ST segment only during exercise and, for the most part, take into account do not information about the recovery period. The authors show on the basis of the analyses of the regression of ST and HR in patients with angina pectoris that the traditional indices are more effective during exercise. They suggest new standardized nondimensional indices to evaluate the state of patients with myocardial ischemia, i.e., the standardized duration and amplitude of fast recovery (SDFR and SAFR) of ST depression. Most likely, SAFR reflects the share of cardiomyocytes in the metastable state in the total number of the cells affected by short-term ischemia, and SDFR may be an index of the time of the change in the metastable state. Comparative study of the standardized indices of myocardial ischemia showed that the rate–pressure product, SDFR, and SAFR are independent values and may be recommended for evaluating the functional state in patients with IHD.