Prolonged left ventricular dysfunction occurs in patients with coronary artery disease after both dobutamine and exercise induced myocardial ischaemia

Abstract

In patients with coronary artery disease, dobutamine induced ischaemia results in prolonged reversible left ventricular dysfunction, presumed to be myocardial stunning, similar to that seen after exercise. Dobutamine induced ischaemia could therefore be used to study the pathophysiology of this phenomenon further in patients with coronary artery disease.