[Myocardial ischemia and paroxysmal cardiac arrhythmia in different severity of bronchial asthma].

The study was undertaken to define the prevalence and pattern of myocardial ischemia and cardiac arrhythmia in patients with persistent bronchial asthma (BA) in relation to its severity. Eighty-one patients with persistent BA, including 21 patients with mild BA, 39 with moderate BA, and 21 with severe BA, were examined. ECG and Holter 24-hour monitoring were performed. Myocardial ischemic episodes were detected in 33% of the patients with moderate BA and in 57% of the patients with severe BA. Silent and painful myocardial ischemia occurred at the equal rate in moderate BA and painful episodes predominated in severe BA. The incidence and degree of supraventricular and ventricular extrasystoles increased with the severity of BA. The paroxysms of ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation and flutter appeared in the presence of BA concurrent with myocardial ischemia.