Significance of the stress score in patients with coronary artery disease

: The authors tested the importance of the load score for assessment of the prognosis of patients after myocardial infarction and for assessment of the severity of the atherosclerotic affection of the coronary arteries. The score is a numerical value calculated from data assembled during evaluation of bicycle ergometry according to the following formula: total duration of the load-(5X deviation of ST)-(4X anginous index). The value of the load score was retrospectively tested in a group of 31 patients after myocardial infarction (mean age 58.1 years), who died during the subsequent five years, and in 64 subjects, mean age 50.1 years, who were subjected to coronarography. The value of the load score in 77.4% of the group who died was less than -10. In the group of patients subjected to coronarography where three arteries or the trunk of the left coronary artery was affected the score in 81.8% of the patients was smaller than -10. The authors proved a close correlation between the value of the load score and the severity of affection of the coronary arteries. Therefore the load score can be used as one of the factors when selecting patients for coronarographic examination and revascularization of the heart muscle. The lead score helps also in the estimation of the prognosis after myocardial infarction.