Stress Testing Specialist

What is stress testing?

A stress test evaluates how your heart reacts to physical exertion. With this type of test, the goal is to see how much physical stress your heart can withstand before you experience ischemia (inadequate blood flow), heart rhythm abnormalities, or chest pain.  

The test takes place in the Apex Cardiology Consultants office, with experienced providers monitoring you the entire time, so it's a safe way to get the information needed to evaluate your heart or make a diagnosis.

When might I need stress testing?

Stress testing is a useful diagnostic tool for coronary artery disease, heart failure, heart arrhythmias, ischemic heart disease, and valvular heart disease. You may need a stress test if you have unexplained symptoms such as:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain 
• Heart palpitations (fluttering, pounding, or racing heart)
• Dizzy spells
• Fainting

Stress testing can also assess the effectiveness of current heart medications, check your heart function before surgery, evaluate heart function before you start a new exercise regimen, and determine your risk of heart disease.

How does stress testing work?

There are several types of stress tests, with each having its own protocols. They include:

Treadmill stress test

In a treadmill stress test, you exercise on a stationary treadmill while an electrocardiogram (EKG) monitors your heart's electrical activity through small electrodes on your chest. A treadmill stress test also monitors your blood pressure and breathing.

Stress echocardiogram

A stress echocardiogram is an ultrasound of your heart. It provides a visual representation of your heart when it's under stress. As with the treadmill EKG stress test, you exercise for this test. But, with the echo stress test, you have an ultrasound just before exercise (when your heart's at rest) and immediately after you reach maximum physical exertion. 

Nuclear stress test

In a nuclear stress test, you receive an injection of a short-acting radioactive material (tracer). You lie under a nuclear (gamma) camera. The gamma camera scans your body, detects radioactive energy, and converts it to an image of your heart. Then, you exercise on the treadmill before taking a second set of images with the gamma camera. 

If you're not able to exercise due to mobility problems or health issues, you receive an injection of a medication (adenosine) that simulates the effects of exercise in place of the treadmill exercise. 

To schedule stress testing, call Apex Cardiology Consultants or click the online booking button.