Microalbumin excretion in patients with positive exercise electrocardiogram tests.

Abstract

Thirty-three subjects underwent exercise electrocardiogram testing, 20 had a history of myocardial infarction and 13 were age-matched volunteers. Exercise electrocardiograms were positive in 15 subjects, negative in 12 and anomalous in six. Urinary microalbumin excretion was measured at rest, 30 and 60 min after exercise. Urinary microalbumin excretion was expressed as the albumin-creatinine ratio in mg.mmol-1. In the positive exercise electrocardiogram group median albumin-creatinine ratio increased from 1.0 mg.mmol-1 (95% CI 0.94-1.49) at rest to 2.0 mg.mmol-1 (95% CI 1.51-3.94) 30 min after exercise, whilst in the negative electrocardiogram group median resting and 30 min post exercise albumin-creatinine ratio values of 0.85 (95% CI 0.53-1.32) and 1.80 (95% CI 0.63-2.32) mg.mmol-1 respectively were not significantly different. These results suggest that exercise-induced myocardial ischaemia is associated with increased urinary microalbumin excretion.