PHARMACOLOGICAL AGENTS FOR STRESS-TESTING IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE

Non-invasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease is based on the comb ined use of a technique capable of identifying accurately the presence of ischaemia and a str ess capable of safely inducing myocardial isch aemia. In the last few years great progress has been made in this fiel d thanks to the use (a) of cardiac imaging techniques that clearly dep ict the use a car presence and extent of myocardial ischaemia and to ( b) the introduction of stresses other than exercise. These stresses al e mainly pharmacological and are pauticularly useful in patients unabl e to exercise or who cannot exercise to a level considered adequate fo r diagnostic purposes. These alternative stress procedures are particu larly ly useful when dealing with echocardiography since exercise usua lly prevents the aquisition of images of sufficient quality to be cons idered diagnostic.