This study was performed to evaluate the presence of angina pectoris, electrocardiographic changes and reversible thallium-201 defects resulting from 2 different levels of exercise in 19 patients with known coronary artery disease and evidence of exercise-induced ischemia. The exercise protocols consisted of a symptom-limited incremental exercise test (Bruce protocol) followed within 3 to 14 days by a submaximal, steady-state exercise test performed at 70% of the maximal heart rate achieved during the Bruce protocol. The presence and time of onset of angina and electrocardiographic changes (greater than or equal to 0.1 mV ST-segment depression) as well as oxygen uptake, exercise duration and pressure-rate product were recorded. Thallium-201 (2.5 to 3.0 mCi) was injected during the last minute of exercise during both protocols, and the images were analyzed using both computer-assisted quantitation and visual interpretations. Incremental exercise resulted in anginal symptoms in 84% of patients, and electrocardiographic changes and reversible thallium-201 defects in all patients. In contrast, submaximal exercise produced anginal symptoms in only 26% (p less than 0.01) and electrocardiographic changes in only 47% (p less than 0.05), but resulted in thallium-201 defects in 89% of patients (p = not significant). The locations of the thallium-201 defects, when present, were not different between the 2 exercise protocols. These findings confirm the sequence of the ischemic cascade using 2 levels of exercise and demonstrate that the cascade theory is applicable during varying ischemic intensities in the same patient.