We studied the haemodynamic effects of the isometric handgrip exercise (IHG) test in mitral stenosis patients, especially the patients who had small diastolic mitral valve gradient (MVG).
The study was done in 2 rheumatic mitral stenosis patients, 24 female, 8 male, whose ages were 40.3+12.6 years. The end-diastolic MVG of 13 paients were less than 5 mmH. The patients did a maximal isometric exercise test with a handgrip dynamometry device for 1 minute.
At the end of the exercise the heart rate of the patients increased to an average of 16.3+10.9 beats per minute (p<0.001). The left ventricular end-diastolic pressure did not change signifcantly. The pulmonary capillary wedg pressre increased aprximately 6.3+6.1 mmHg (p<0.001): MVG increased approximately 6.8+4.4 mmHg with exercise (p<0.001), and in the patients whse MG were less than 5 mmHg the increase as 7.2+4.0 mmHg and highly ignificant (p<0.001).
We concluded that IHG eercise test is an important non-invasie cardiac stress test in the mitral stensis patients, and it is especially useful in the patients with a small MVG.