Cardiac exercise testing is a means by which doctors assess the function of your heart while under stress. It is typically ordered if someone has significant lifestyle risks for, or symptoms of, coronary artery disease. In general, the procedure itself is quite safe. If you have cardiac exercise testing and your results are abnormal, you will likely need to undergo further testing, with the possibility of future medical or surgical treatment for your heart condition.
About Cardiac Exercise Testing
A cardiac exercise test -- or "stress test" -- is performed by monitoring your cardiac function during physical activity, typically walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle. You will be asked to increase the intensity of your activity until your heart reaches a prespecified heart rate, then you'll have to hold that heart rate for a prespecified duration of time. The goal is to detect abnormal symptoms -- for example, chest pain -- or signs, such as abnormal EKG or blood pressure readings that are unmasked by physical exertion.
Reasons to Get Test
You may be asked to get a cardiac exercise test if your doctor suspects you are at risk for coronary artery disease, or CAD, based on your lifestyle or report of CAD symptoms, such as chest pain with exertion. You may also need to get an exercise test in preparation for surgery, or after cardiac surgery to evaluate how successful the surgery was. Finally, your doctor may recommend an exercise test to evaluate for the presence of certain arrythmias that are unmasked by exercise.
Risks
Generally speaking, cardiac exercise testing is safe -- if your doctor feels you are too sick to undergo exercise testing, he will likely not recommend it. Some people can experience dizziness, fatigue or chest pain -- the last of which might be a sign of a positive test -- and in rare cases, people experience fainting or heart attack.
Outcomes
If your stress test is abnormal, you can expect one or more of several follow-up options. First, your heart may be abnormal, but only slightly so; in this case, it's possible you will only be advised to improve your lifestyle and continue to follow up on a regular basis with your primary doctor. If your heart is markedly abnormal, you may require more intensive treatment or further testing, such as an exercise echocardiogram, and input from other doctors before a final treatment plan is decided.
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