A cardiac stress test is a type of exercise test that can let you and a doctor know how well your heart functions during physical activity. As the heart is made to work harder when under stress, this test can greatly help diagnose issues related to blood flow within the heart. Your healthcare professional may recommend a stress test if they detect any signs or symptoms of coronary artery disease or an abnormal heart rhythm.

How is a cardiac stress test performed, and what are the different types?
A stress test can be performed in the following ways:

Exercise stress test
This is the most widely used method of conducting this test. For the cardiac stress test, you must ride a stationary bike or walk on a treadmill. While performing this test, heart rhythm, breathing, and blood pressure readings are monitored. If you cannot perform physical activity, you would be given intravenous treatments stimulating the heart to pump faster and harder. However, this method of conducting the test might take longer as it could take about an hour for the treatments to take effect.

Exercise stress echocardiogram
Although similar to an exercise stress test, this one provides more information to the healthcare expert. It is an imaging test that evaluates blood flow and the heart’s muscle and valve function using sound waves.

Nuclear stress test
Most often used to determine the severity of blockage in an artery, this test helps determine the effectiveness of treatment options such as bypass or stents. For example, a radioactive substance in a safe amount is used to reveal the necessary information.

Cardiac rehabilitation test
This test is part of the rehabilitation program aimed at helping those with heart disease become physically active and is supervised by medical experts.

Why is a cardiac stress test important?
A stress test can be a handy tool for a healthcare expert in the following ways:

Functioning of the heart
The results of this test would reveal important information about the functioning of the heart and whether it is receiving sufficient blood supply. It can be used to find out if there are any issues with the valves and muscles of the heart. The electric stability of the heart when you are at rest and performing physical activity can be studied.

Physical health measure
The information from this test can be used to compare people the same age or sex as you. This could be an indicator of how fit and healthy you are.

Diagnostic tool
A cardiac stress test can be helpful when trying to diagnose health conditions such as coronary artery disease. In this condition, the blood vessels that provide the heart with blood, nutrients, and oxygen become damaged due to the build-up of cholesterol and plaque. A cardiac stress test can also help diagnose arrhythmias or issues related to heart rhythm. This condition most often occurs when the heart’s electrical signals don’t function properly. This results in a too-fast, too-slow, or irregular heartbeat.

Course of treatment
A cardiac stress test can also help your doctor to decide the best treatment for your heart condition. Through this test, experts could also determine if a current treatment option is having the desired results. For example, a cardiac stress test is essential to check the heart before significant procedures such as a heart transplant or valve replacement.

When would you require this test?
You might be advised to undergo this test in the following circumstances:

Health conditions
If you have certain health conditions such as coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, heart valve disease, etc.

Symptoms
If you exhibit symptoms indicative of heart disease, your doctor might suggest this test. These symptoms could include chest pain or angina, which might be caused due to insufficient flow of blood to the heart. Other symptoms include dyspnea or shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness, and irregular heartbeat. You might also be advised to undergo this test if you are not exhibiting symptoms of heart disease but are at high risk of developing it due to certain risk factors. These factors could be high cholesterol and blood pressure levels, diabetes, and a family history of heart disease.

Occupations
Some job roles or occupations might require you to undergo this test. For example, professional athletes and pilots might need to check their stress test results more often than others.

However, it should be noted that people who have recently had a heart attack or have uncontrolled arrhythmia and ongoing chest pain should not opt for this test. Hence, if you have been advised to undergo this test and have any queries, it might be best to discuss them with your healthcare provider.

Parting words
A cardiac stress test is safe, and there are usually few or no complications. However, it should be performed under the guidance of medical experts and should be stopped if the person becomes anxious.