Premium
THE EFFECT OF DIGITALIS ON THE HEART RATE DURING EXERCISE IN PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
Author(s) -
Åberg Hans,
Ström Gunnar,
Werner Ivar
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
journal of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.625
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1365-2796
pISSN - 0954-6820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2796.1972.tb00081.x
Subject(s) - digitalis , medicine , atrial fibrillation , cardiology , heart rate , beat (acoustics) , fibrillation , electrocardiography , anesthesia , heart failure , blood pressure , physics , acoustics
Twenty‐eight clinically compensated cardiac patients with atrial fibrillation have been investigated with the graded exercise test. Twenty‐four patients had one test with a lower dose of digitalis and one with a higher dose, both dose rates being within the therapeutic range. Four patients performed one exercise test with and one without digitalis. The heart (ventricular) rate attained at a given exercise load was significantly lower (with a difference of 5–25 beats/min at the different loads) with the higher dose. This was interpreted as a beneficial effect on working capacity. The individual beat‐to‐beat variability of heart rate was not influenced. The beneficial effect of an increase in digitalis dose thus seems to depend on a decrease in average ventricular rate during exercise and not on a decreased degree of arrhythmia.