Prognostic value of peak exercise systolic blood pressure on long-term survival after myocardial infarction

This study examined the association between peak exercise systolic blood pr essure and other exercise test parameters and the long-term (19-year) survi val of 625 patients with myocardial infarction who were original participan ts of the National Exercise and Heart Disease Project, a 3-year (1976 to 19 79) multicenter randomized exercise clinical trial. Results show that low p eak exercise systolic blood pressure (less than or equal to 140 mm Hg) was associated with increased mortality throughout the 19 years of follow-up, a nd men with this finding obtained no survival benefit from participating in an exercise pro gram.