Significance of P wave terminal force in presumably healthy middle-aged men

In a material comprising 695 males aged 40 to 60 years without cardiovascular disease, the prevalence of abnormal P wave terminal force in V₁ (V₁Ptf) (≤ ? 0.03 mm. second) at rest was 7.1 per cent, whereas the prevalence five minutes after a near-maximal exercise test was 25.4 per cent. Abnormal V₁Ptf was associated with a slightly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, maximal rise of systolic blood pressure, and maximal rate-pressure product during the exercise test. The prevalence of abnormal V₁Ptf was not significantly higher in another group of 95 individuals who were angiographied because of strong suspicion of latent coronary heart disease (CHD) according to exercise electrocardiogram.An abnormal V₁Ptf may be considered as a possibly clinically unimportant anomaly in other-wise healthy middle-aged men. V₁Ptf is not suitable as a tool for the diagnosis of latent CHD.