Sex differences in the prevalence of ischemic heart disease and in the response to a stress test in a working population

In a study 4422 males and 1663 females aged 18-60 years were examined in order to determine the prevalence of ischemic heart disease and the response to an exercise stress test. The prevalence of ischemic heart disease was 7.3 times as high in males as it was in females. In normotensive, asymptomatic subjects under 45 years of age an abnormal electrocardiographic response to stress testing was 3.8 times higher in females than it was in males (95% confidence limits 2.2-6.3). However, in an older age group, it was more frequent in males. The predictive value of a positive test after a six-year follow-up was 18.0 per 100 in males and 8.6 per 100 in females. These results confirm that the positive response to stress testing has different meanings in males and females.