Stress Test

A stress test, sometimes called a treadmill test or exercise test, helps physicians find out how well the heart handles stress. As the body works harder during the test, it requires more oxygen and the heart has to pump more blood. The test can show if the blood supply is reduced in the arteries that supply the heart. It also helps doctors know the kind and level of exercise appropriate for a patient.

• A person taking the test is hooked up to equipment to monitor the heart.
• Walks slowly in place on a treadmill, on which the speed is increased for a faster pace and which is tilted to produce the effect of going up a small hill.
• May be asked to breathe into a tube for a couple of minutes.
• Can stop the test at any time if necessary.
• Afterwards will sit or lie down to have the heart and blood pressure checked.

Heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, electrocardiogram (E.C.G. or E.K.G.), and how tired one feels are monitored during the test.

There's very little risk in taking the test in healthy persons - no more than if a person walks fast or jogs up a big hill.