BACKGROUND: The relation between QRS changes during exercise and ischemic heart disease is controversial. The present investigation addressed whether exercise QRS changes are related 1) to myocardial ischemia or necrosis, 2) to possibly confounding factors such as baseline QRS size and changes in heart rate and ST magnitude during exercise, and 3) to the location of scintigraphic defects. METHODS: Advanced computerized vectorcardiography (MIDA1000, Ortivus Medical AB, Sweden) was recorded in 71 consecutive patients referred for 201TI exercise myocardial scintigraphy. Maximal exercise tests were performed in the sitting position on a bicycle ergometer. Planar scintigraphic images were obtained immediately after exercise and 4 hours later in three projections, and were evaluated blindly. RESULTS: Exercise QRS changes correlated to baseline QRS size (X, Y, and Z leads; P