Stress Test

Detailed Information:
A stress test determines a how a patient’s heart and blood vessels respond to exertion. It can also measure how strong the heart is following a heart attack or surgery. Also called an “exercise tolerance” or “treadmill test”, the stress test is usually ordered by a doctor when the patient exhibits signs of heart disease: shortness of breath, chest or arm pain, dizziness, swelling of the feet and ankles.

For the test, electrodes are placed on the patient’s chest and back. The electrodes are attached to an electrocardiograph that records the heart’s electrical activity. The patient also wears a blood pressure cuff during the test. The test takes 45 minutes.

Before the test begins, the patient’s resting ECG, blood pressure, and pulse levels are read, as a basis for comparison. The patient runs on the treadmill while the doctor increases the speed and the incline every two to three minutes and checks for changes in the ECG and blood pressure levels. At the end of the test, there is often a cool down phase. Very few risks are associated with the exercise stress test. The patient may suffer from dizziness, shortness of breath, and chest pains, but they are rare.

The results of the stress test will help doctor and patient determine the appropriate treatment and whether additional diagnostic tests are required. Sometimes the doctor orders another exercise stress test called a “nuclear” stress test.

The nuclear stress test allows the doctor to see pictures of the patient’s heart at rest and immediately following exercise. This test provides information about the size of the patient’s heart chambers, the pumping action of the heart, and blood supply to the heart muscle. The nuclear stress test is much longer than the treadmill test and the patient must be injected with a radioactive substance in order to see the heart.

Last updated: 03-Jun-04