Exercise stress test

This test is done at a medical center or health care provider's office. The technician will place 10 flat, sticky patches called electrodes on your chest. These patches are attached to an ECG monitor that follows the electrical activity of your heart during the test. You will walk on a treadmill or pedal on an…

Wear comfortable shoes and loose clothing to allow you to exercise. Ask your provider if you should take any of your regular medicines on the day of the test. Some medicines may interfere with test results. Never stop taking any medicine without first talking to your provider. Tell your provider if you are taking…

Electrodes (conductive patches) will be placed on your chest to record the heart's activity. The preparation of the electrode sites on your chest may produce a mild burning or stinging sensation. The blood pressure cuff on your arm will be inflated every few minutes. This produces a squeezing sensation that may feel…

Reasons why an exercise stress test may be performed include: You are having chest pain (to check for coronary artery disease, narrowing of the arteries that feed the heart muscle). Your angina is getting worse or is happening more often. You have had a heart attack. You have had angioplasty or heart bypass surgery .…

A normal test will most often mean that you were able to exercise as long as or longer than most people of your age and sex. You also did not have symptoms or concerning changes in blood pressure or your ECG. The meaning of your test results depends on the reason for the test, your age, and your history of heart and…

Abnormal results may be due to: Abnormal heart rhythms during exercise Changes in your ECG that may mean there is a blockage in the arteries that supply your heart ( coronary artery disease ) When you have an abnormal exercise stress test, you may have other tests performed on your heart such as: Cardiac…

Stress tests are generally safe. Some people may have chest pain or may faint or collapse. A heart attack or dangerous irregular heart rhythm is rare. People who are more likely to have such complications are often already known to have heart problems, so they are not given this test.

Balady GJ, Ades PA. Exercise physiology and exercise electrocardiographic testing. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine . 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 15. Gulati M, Levy PD, Mukherjee D, et al. 2021…