Background:Stress echocardiography is well validated for diagnosis and risk
stratification of coronary artery disease. Exercise stress echocardiography
(ESE) has been shown to be the most physiological among the modalities of
stress, but its safety is not well established.Objective:To study the complications related to ESE and clinical and echocardiographic
variables most commonly associated with their occurrence.Methods:Cross-sectional study consisting of 10250 patients submitted to ESE for
convenience, from January 2000 to June 2014. Cardiac Arrhythmias (CA) were
the most frequent complications observed during the examination. The
volunteers were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of CA
during ESE: G1 group, composed of patients who have CA, and G2 formed by
individuals who did not show such complication. Results: Group G1,
consisting of 2843 patients (27.7%), and Group G2 consisting of 7407
patients (72.3%). There was no death, acute myocardial infarction,
ventricular fibrillation or asystole. Predominant CAs were: supraventricular
extrasystoles (13.7%), and ventricular extrasystoles (11.5%). G1 group had a
higher mean age, higher frequency of hypertension and smoking, larger aortic
roots and left atrium (LA) and lower ejection fraction than G2. G1 group
also had more ischemic changes (p < 0.001). The predictor variables were
age (RR 1.04; [CI] 95% from 1.038 to 1.049) and LA (RR 1.64; [CI] 95% from
1.448 to 1.872).Conclusion:ESE proved to be a safe modality of stress, with non-fatal complications
only. Advanced age and enlargement of the left atrium are predictive of
cardiac arrhythmias.