If you think about all of the ways the word “heart” is used in day-to-day conversation, it quickly becomes apparent just how important the heart is. But you already know that without a functioning heart, you can’t live.
Dr. Muthu Velusamy and his team at Cardiovascular Institute of America in Tampa and Lutz, Florida, want to help keep your heart healthy. Often, that means undergoing cardiac testing. If you have heart disease or heart rhythm issues, one of those tests is likely to be a cardiac stress test to determine how well your heart works during exertion.
This common screening is also sometimes called an exercise stress test. When you have a stress test, the person administering it places sticky patches with electrodes on your chest, a blood pressure cuff on your arm, and pulse/blood oxygen monitor on your finger. These devices measure some important vitals at different times:
The test checks how blood flows to your heart, the rate and rhythm of your heartbeat, the strength and stability of the electrical signals that control your heartbeat, your blood pressure, and the blood oxygen levels during rest, activity, and recovery.
All of that information helps Dr. Velusamy understand how well your heart is working and how it responds to increased demand.
Stress tests aren’t part of a routine physical exam. Instead, they’re indicated in specific circumstances. Some reasons you may be asked to complete a stress test include:
The most common reason for a stress test is to assess symptoms that are often related to heart disease. For example, shortness of breath, periodic chest pain (angina), a rapid or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), or dizziness or lightheadedness may all be due to heart disease.
Stress testing can be used in the diagnosis of common heart problems like arrhythmia or angina. It may also be used to identify conditions such as coronary artery disease (CAD) or congestive heart failure, heart valve disease, or cardiomyopathy.
If you have a family history of heart disease, or other risk factors, even if you don’t have any symptoms, your doctor may suggest a stress test to assess your heart’s function and heart disease risk. Some conditions — such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol — may also indicate a stress test in order to determine your heart disease risk.
Stress tests are sometimes used to show how serious a known heart condition is, or how likely it is to cause a heart attack. A stress test may also assess whether your current symptoms are getting worse, inform treatment decisions, or measure the progress of your current treatment plan.
If you have a heart condition, or you have a high risk of developing heart disease, you may need a stress test to determine what level of physical exertion is safe. Exercise can be an important part of caring for yourself, but you may need guidance to understand what could overtax your heart.
After you’ve had a heart attack or cardiac surgery, you may take part in a cardiac rehabilitation program, and stress testing is likely to be an integral part of that process.
Often, a stress test is performed before your rehab program begins, and the results help your providers tailor your program to your exact needs. At the end of the program, you may complete another stress test to measure your progress and provide information to inform your post-rehab exercise routine.
When a stress test is administered to estimate your risk of developing heart disease, you may need to repeat the test a year later. In some instances, Dr. Velusamy may order other, more detailed pharmacologic stress tests as well.
When stress testing is part of a heart disease management plan, Dr. Velusamy suggests a schedule based on your situation. Normal results mean your treatments are working as expected, while abnormal test results may mean you need more frequent testing.
If you have questions about your heart health or what to expect during a stress test, schedule an appointment at Cardiovascular institute of America. We’re always happy to answer your questions.
