Lake Champlain Cardiology Associates
52 Tom Miller Rd., Plattsburgh, NY 12901  (518) 563-2404
www.lccahearts.com

Exercise Stress Test

What is an exercise test?
An exercise test records the electrical activity of the heart on an electrocardiogram and takes blood pressure readings while you walk on an exercise treadmill. The exercise treadmill test (ETT) is used to:

  1. Check for heart disease
  2. See if treatment for heart disease is effective

When is it used?
An exercise test is done when your doctor thinks that you might have heart disease. The most common heart disease is cause by narrowing of the coronary arteries.
The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that supply blood, oxygen and nutrients to the heart. The arteries can become narrowed when substances like cholesterol build up on the arterial wall.

How do I prepare for the procedure?

  1. Do not eat for 2 hours before the test. It is okay to drink liquids
  2. Ask your health care provider if you should take your regular medications before the test.

What happens during the procedure?
Small sticky patches or suction cups are placed on your back and chest for the electrocardiogram. Your blood pressure is checked and the electrocardiogram is recorded while you are resting initially.
Then you begin to walk on the treadmill as the speed and upward slope of the treadmill are gradually increased. The electrocardiogram is consistently watched and your blood pressure is measured at each speed increase.

The exercise test is stopped if:

  1. The electrocardiogram or blood pressure changes dramatically
  2. You have any chest pain
  3. You become too tired to continue
  4. A set workload is reached-The workload is the target heart rate, typically 85% of 220 minus your age

How accurate is the exercise test (ETT)?
The ETT is not a perfect test. Some people with coronary artery disease will have a normal ETT, while some healthy people will have an abnormal ETT.
The accuracy of the ETT can be improved in two ways:

  1. A radioactive tracer such as thallium or technetium is injected into the arm at peak exertion. These tracers are equal to the radiation of a chest x-ray
    and are used to follow the blood flow to the heart. A detector placed on the chest will show whether the heart muscle has picked up the tracer, indicating good blood flow.If there is decreased or no blood flow through the artery the detector will show that the heart muscles is not picking up the tracer.
  2. A stress echocardiogram -An electrocardiogram (ultrasound image of the heart) is performed before and after exercise. If you have coronary artery narrowing, the heart's pumping action will not be normal post exercise.

What are the benefits?
Exercise testing is one of the safest and most widely used tests for heart disease in the US. It is a quick way to check for arterial narrowing or blockage
and it used by your doctor to determine if more costly and riskier test are needed.

What are the risks?
On rare occasions the heart may go into a fast rhythm causing you to collapse, or you may experience chest discomfort during the test. To ensure your safety a cardiologist or specially trained assistant as well as a trained cardiology technician will supervise the test, constantly watching your blood pressure and electrocardiogram. The test team watches for and is able to treat any problems that may arise.

When will I get the results?
Often one of our cardiologists can give you a result right away; sometimes you may need to speak with your family doctor to get the results.