Physiologic response to gain and loss in coronary minimal luminal diameter in patients treated with coronary angioplasty: prediction of restenosis on the basis of exercise capacity.

The results demonstrated a linear relation between the severity of coronary stenosis and exercise capacity measured before PTCA. The degree of coronary luminal enlargement achieved with angioplasty and the luminal reduction that occurred between PTCA and follow-up evaluation correlated with increases and decreases in exercise capacity. Attenuation in exercise capacity was found to be a strong predictor of restenosis.