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Exercise Stress Testing
This noninvasive test helps detect heart disease by providing your cardiologist with information about how your heart tolerates the stress of exercise.
You will be asked not to eat and to abstain from caffeinated beverages for at least four hours before the test. (A full stomach may lead to nausea during exercise.) You may drink water until one hour before the test. Wear lightweight comfortable clothes and comfortable walking shoes to the test.
A technician will attach electrodes to your chest to monitor your heart’s electrical activity during and after exercise. You will be asked to exercise on a treadmill, a stationary bicycle, or an arm ergometer until you feel that you need to stop due to fatigue, shortness of breath or chest discomfort. You will be asked to rate your level of exertion periodically. A technician and cardiologist/nurse clinician will be in the exercise room the entire time to monitor and evaluate the test. Exercise may be stopped due to changes in the EKG recording or blood pressure criteria.
After you have exercised to your peak intensity, you will be monitored for several minutes. There is minimal risk associated with treadmill and Dobutamine stress testing and this risk is minimized by the completion of a thorough examination beforehand, and by careful monitoring during the test. After the procedure your cardiologist will review the results with you.
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Other tests for this sub-specialty
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