If you’ve been advised to undergo a stress test here in our East Harlem, New York, office, you might have some questions about what to expect and why it’s important.
A stress test is a common medical procedure that assesses how well your heart functions under physical stress. Here at Harlem Cardiology, Dr. Henock Saint-Jacques uses stress tests to diagnose heart conditions, assess your risk of heart disease, and shape your treatment plans.
Take a moment as our expert team shares five things you need to know about stress tests.
A stress test measures how your heart responds to physical activity. During the test, you’ll be asked to exercise (either by walking on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary bike) while our team records several vital signs, including your heart rate and blood pressure. For this reason, you might hear your stress test referred to as an exercise test or a treadmill test.
You’ll also have to wear electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes — they are applied via a stick-on patch — to measure the electrical activity of your heart.
The goal of a stress test is to see how well your heart handles increased activity. The information recorded during your stress test can reveal issues such as coronary artery disease (the number one cause of death in America), irregular heart rhythms, or other cardiac concerns that might not be noticeable when you’re at rest.
In addition to using a stress test to diagnose heart conditions or monitor current treatments, Dr. Saint-Jacque may recommend a stress test to clear you for surgery. If you’re scheduled for surgery, especially a procedure that involves the heart or lungs, a stress test can help determine if your heart is strong enough to handle the stress of surgery.
On the day of your stress test, you’ll be asked to wear comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for exercise. The test usually begins with a resting ECG and blood pressure measurement. As you start exercising, the intensity will gradually increase.
You can expect to exercise about 5-15 minutes. You’ll stop when your heart rate reaches the target range, if you become too tired, or if you develop any concerning symptoms.
Dr. Saint-Jacques will monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and ECG throughout the test.
Note: you will not exercise if you have a pharmacological stress test.
While the standard exercise stress test is the most common, other variations may be used depending on your underlying health needs. This includes:
This test involves injecting a small amount of radioactive material into your bloodstream to create detailed images of your heart during rest and stress. Eight million nuclear stress tests are performed each year in America alone.
A stress echocardiogram combines an exercise stress test with an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of your heart) to provide even more details about your heart. For this type of stress test, you can expect to have an ultrasound before you begin your exercise test. These images will be compared to postexercise ultrasound images.
This test uses medication to simulate the effects of exercise on your heart and is an ideal option if you can’t physically use the treadmill. Medication used may include vasodilator agents such as adenosine.
If you need a stress test other than the standard exercise stress test, Dr. Saint-Jacques will provide the steps for your preparation.
Even though a stress test is straightforward, you need to prepare for it. Your preparation steps vary depending on what type of stress test you have but may include:
Whether you need to diagnose the source of your current symptoms or check to see how your current treatment is working, the bottom line is that stress tests are invaluable when it comes to your heart health.
If you have any questions about your preparation instructions, please ask us! Call our office at 646-381-2181. You can also click here to book an appointment with Dr. Saint-Jacques.
