To explore the effect of different percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) revascularization strategies on exercise tolerance and myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary multivessel disease from the point of view of treadmill exercise testing (TET).

One hundred and sixteen coronary multivessel disease patients who underwent PCI revascularization and TET from August 2014 to June 2016 were studied. The patients were divided into either a complete revascularization group (CR group; n=56) or an incomplete revascularization group (ICR group; n=60). Clinical manifestations, combined diseases, medications, coronary heart disease status, ultracardiographic data, and TET data of these patients were collected and analyzed. The independent samples t-test was used to analyze the data of age, body mass index, ejection fraction, resting heart rate, resting systolic pressure, resting diastolic pressure, peak heart rate, peak systolic pressure, and peak diastolic pressure. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to analyze the data of duration from revascularization to TET, Gensini score before and after revascularization, Bruce grade, exercise time, maximum metabolic equivalent, degree and duration of ST-segment depression, Bruce grade in the presence of ST-segment depression, and Duke score. The χ² test was used to analyze the distribution of males, smokers, complications, medications, history of myocardial infarction, three-vessel lesions, left main lesion, anterior descending artery lesion, circumflex artery lesion, right coronary artery lesion, myocardial bridge, ST segment level or descending depression≥0.1 mV, early termination of TET, ST segment depression, chest pain, and Duke grade.

The common clinical stootus between the CR group and ICR group had no significant difference (P>0.05). Compared with the CR group, the ICR group had significantly higher proportions of three-vessel lesion (51.8% vs 81.7%, χ²=11.741, P=0.001), anterior descending artery lesion (90.2% vs 98.5%, χ²=4.436, P=0.035), and left circumflex artery lesion (78.6% vs 93.3%, χ²=4.436, P=0.021) as well as higher Gensini score after revascularization [5 (0,14) vs 23 (12, 36), Z=-5.268, P<0.001]. The patients in both groups could reach Bruce 3 (2,3) level during TET. No significant difference was observed in the positive rate of TET, Duke score, or other TET data between the two groups.

For coronary multivessel disease patients after PCI, the TET results in patients undergoing incomplete revascularization are not inferior to those in patients undergoing complete revascularization.