My Healthy Heart Articles
Stress Testing for Heart Health
01/08/08
Disease Basics
Usually, stress is something the heart-health conscious try to avoid. But medical stress tests are some of the best ways to determine the health and efficiency of a person’s heart.
There are several aspects to a cardiac stress test, also known as an electric echocardiogram. A stress test consists of monitoring the heart first at rest, and then after exercising. The test is used to evaluate blood flow to and from the heart and the heart’s overall functionality.
All stress tests are performed at a medical facility equipped with exercise machines and trained personnel who monitor the heart’s function. After measuring resting heart rate and looking at images (taken with nuclear myocardial imaging or echocardiography) of the heart while at rest, patients will either step on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike to raise heart rate and increase blood flow.
While on the exercise equipment, patients are connected to an electrocardiograph (ECG) which monitors the heart and tracks its function. The ECG measures heart rhythm and indicates when the heart may not be receiving sufficient blood to match the exertion.
After achieving a target heart rate or completing a specific amount of time on the exercise equipment, more images of the heart are taken. In a thallium stress test, a small amount of radioactive thallium is injected into the patient’s bloodstream. A gamma camera is used to track the flow of thallium through the heart. If parts of the heart are not receiving enough blood, those areas will not absorb as much thallium, which will show in the camera images.
If a patient is unable to perform the exercise portion of the test due to illness or physical incapacity, a chemical called dipyridamole can be used to replicate the effects of exercise on the heart.
The American Heart Association recommends stress tests for the following use:
- For people with cardiac risk factors who are about to begin an exercise program to avoid any potential problems.
- For evaluating chest pains.
- For evaluating the benefits of treatment over time.
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