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Things to Know about Treadmill Stress Tests

ryan-frank | Oct 29, 2009 |

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If a patient is unable to use the treadmill, it can also be performed by giving the patient an intravenour medication (such as dipyridamole, adenosine, or dobutamine) which will accelerate the heart rate.

The test will allow the physician to evaluate the arterial blood flow to the heart during exercise. There are a number of reasons why a physician would want a patient to have a treadmill stress test. If a patient has symptoms that are suggestive of coronary artery disease (CAD) or if a patient is already at high risk of having CAD because of their lifestyle of because of family history, a doctor might order a treadmill stress test. The test may also be ordered if a patient is experiencing fatigue or shortness of breath, has high blood pressure, or has an irregular heart beats.

Understanding Treadmill Stress Test Results

One problem with treadmill stress tests is that they do not always detect heart attach risks. According to the American Heart Association, an ECG stress test's reliability is only 67% which means that a stress test may in fact have a false negative or a false positive. There are a number of heart attack related instances that a treadmill stress test will not be able to identify. It will not, for instance, identify vulnerable plaques which is known to lead to heart attacks.

However, a positive stress test could indicate a high risk for heart disease and should be ignored. A positive result, if nothing else, would at least be an indicator that he should be considered for more accurate testing and further evaluation. And even though a positive result will not guarantee that a person might have a heart attack, it does put them in a higher risk of having a heart attack which should not be taken lightly. It is very well that the patient should consider healthier eating habits and/or consider exercising in order to lower their risk of a heart attach. A treadmill stress test, also known as an ECG Stress Test, is usually performed by having the patient walk on a treadmill while they are being monitored by an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a blood pressure machine purchased from a big medical equipment manufacturer.