When & Why You Should Do An Exercise Stress Test
An exercise stress test is a simple, non-invasive procedure designed to help assess the health of your heart. It involves using an exercise bike or treadmill while wearing special sensors on your chest, which are connected to monitors. As you pedal or jog harder, the monitors record your blood flow and how much oxygen your heart is receiving.
A doctor’s referral is needed for an exercise stress test. The request to have one, however, can come from an employer or even from yourself. Here are six examples of when, and why, it is advisable to do an exercise stress test.
Table of contents
1. Risk factors, including family history
The main condition detected and monitored by an exercise stress test is coronary artery disease (CAD). This is where the major blood vessels to the heart have become partially blocked. The chief risk factors are high cholesterol and blood pressure, smoking, obesity and diabetes, but also genetics, ethnicity and age. If you have a family history of CAD and are in your 40s, an exercise stress test is advisable to test the health of your heart, even if you have no other risk factors.
2. Chest pain
The most common symptom of CAD is chest pain or tightness known as angina. Many conditions can present with similar pain, but it is always important to take chest pain seriously. If your doctor suspects CAD, an exercise stress test is a useful diagnostic tool, especially if you are in your 40s or younger and have no other significant risk factors. The alternative is an angiogram, which is a hospital-based procedure.
3. Monitoring pre-diagnosed CAD
Not all cases of CAD require surgery. If the arteries to your heart are only partially blocked, your doctor may recommend ongoing monitoring, medication and lifestyle changes (such as keeping your cholesterol low). An exercise stress test is a simple way to monitor the health of your heart for CAD and other kinds of coronary heart disease (CHD).
4. Post-surgical monitoring
If you have had any kind of cardiac surgery, either keyhole (angioplasty and stenting) or open (coronary artery bypass graft), you will require ongoing monitoring of your heart. Depending on your general health and age, an exercise stress test is an effective and non-invasive monitoring tool.
5. For exercise
You may be in peak physical health, but if you’re planning on climbing a mountain or doing any other kind of extreme exercise, it’s a good idea to do an exercise stress test. It can help inform your training program and ensure your heart and lungs are working together at their optimum.
6. For your job
If you have a very physical job, your employer may request health monitoring via an exercise stress test. Examples of this could include working in the military or being a professional diver. It could also be required if you’re planning to work somewhere very remote without access to emergency care.
Shakespeare Medical Centre has experienced and skilled doctors that can perform exercise stress testing onsite in the Mackay clinic. For more information and better heart health, contact us today.