According to "The Journal of the American Medical Association," heart and blood vessel disease is the leading cause of death in developed nations such as the United States. The purpose of cardiac stress tests is to make the heart work harder by placing it under stress either with exercise or medications. Doing this allows doctors to see if a decrease in blood flow to the heart occurs, indicating a medical problem. Various types of stress tests exist; the type your doctor prescribes is tailored to your needs and condition.
Exercise Stress Test
According to the American Heart Association, this test is performed on a treadmill while you are hooked up to a equipment to monitor your heart. He will start you out at a slow pace, gradually increasing it as the test progresses. He will also increase the incline of the treadmill gradually, simulating a hill. You are allowed to rest at any time, and upon completion, you sit or lie down to have your blood pressure taken.
Throughout the test, a medical professional is with you in case she is needed, and your heart rate, along with your blood pressure is monitored. You will also be asked periodically how tired you feel.
Exercise stress tests are generally recommended to diagnose coronary artery disease and heart problems which may be causing shortness of breath or chest pain, to predict your risk of having a heart attack or to determine what a safe level of exercise may be for you.
Nuclear Stress Test
According to Dr. Martha Grogan, cardiologist for the Mayo Clinic, nuclear stress tests measure the flow of blood to your heart while active and while at rest. The major difference between this and the exercise stress test is the dye that is injected into your bloodstream to create images of your heart.
There are two major types of nuclear stress tests: a myocardial perfusion scan and a multiple gated acquisition. During the myocardial perfusion scan, you begin walking on the treadmill, and once at your maximum heart rate, the dye is injected. The images are then made once you are done exercising and then again a few hours later.
The multiple gated acquisition requires that the dye be injected before you begin exercising. The images are taken both before and after exercise, allowing your doctor to compare the ability of your heart to pump blood.
Stress Echocardiogram
According to the medical experts at the Mayo Clinic, an echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. Your physician then uses these images to detect any abnormalities with the valves or chambers of your heart.
A stress echocardiogram detects heart problems that occur only during physical activity, especially if these heart problems involve the coronary arteries leading into your heart muscles. During an echocardiogram, ultrasound pictures are taken both before and after you exercise, allowing the doctor to compare your heart at rest and while active. If for any reason you are unable to exercise, you may be injected with a medication that stimulates you heart to work as though it were exercising.
