What is a stress test?
A stress test is a noninvasive exercise test used for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Stress testing involves placing the heart under physically stressful conditions–i.e., making it work–in order to elicit subjective (chest pain) and objective (EKG changes) findings of coronary insufficiency. Some stress tests involve the adjunctive use of various cardiac imaging modalities (echo, nuclear scanning) to increase the information gained from the test and improve the sensitivity. Some patients, such as people with severe arthritis, are unable to exercise on a treadmill. These patients can still have stress testing without physical exercise. In such patients, various drugs can be administered intravenously that “stress” the heart and simulate exercise.
A stress test, also called a treadmill test or exercise ECG, is used to record a patient’s heartbeat during exercise. This is important, because some heart problems only show up when the heart is working hard. To conduct the test, an electrocardiogram is done before, during, and after exercising on a treadmill. The patient’s breathing rate and blood pressure may be measured as well. Although stress tests can be useful, they aren’t completely reliable.
