Odd heart beat during exercise may predict disease

BOSTON, Massachusetts (Reuters) -- A poorly coordinated heart rhythm that occurs during exercise heralds a higher risk of dying from a heart attack in the coming decades, French researchers report in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

The study of 6,101 seemingly healthy men found that 138 whose hearts frequently developed an irregular beating pattern during an exercise stress test were 2.7 times more likely to die from heart disease over the next 23 years.

The team, led by Dr. Xavier Jouven of the Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris, France, concluded that patients who develop the abnormal rhythm, known as premature ventricular depolarization, "should certainly be evaluated and treated" for heart disease risk factors and strongly advised to quit smoking.

However, the rhythm was only dangerous when it became common during exercise. Infrequent depolarization did not increase the risk of death, nor did frequent depolarization occurring before or after exercise.

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Hugh Calkins of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, said the higher risk is similar to the one faced by people who develop chest pain during a stress test.

Both, he said, are "too great to be ignored."

"Additional diagnostic testing, greater attention to the modification of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and more careful follow-up may be indicated for patients with these arrhythmia," said Calkins.

He said additional research is needed to find the best treatment for the problem.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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