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You need to arrive fasting and wearing comfortable clothes. Part of the heart is behind the stomach, so food in the stomach will result in poor images and possibly inaccurate results. You should avoid any liquids except a minimal amount of water.
Let’s review the basics of what’s involved in a stress test, including what preparations must occur:
You can review additional details about stress tests below:
To prepare for a stress test, patients should wear comfortable clothes and shoes suitable for exercise. They should avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and tobacco for several hours before the test. Patients should inform their doctor about all medications they’re taking and follow any specific instructions about medication timing.
Upon arrival, the doctor will review the patient’s medical history and explain the procedure. The medical team will attach electrodes to the patient’s chest and place a blood pressure cuff on the arm. They may also ask the patient to breathe into a tube to measure lung function. The doctor will provide clear instructions about the test process and ensure the patient feels comfortable before beginning the stress test.
The test usually involves treadmill walking or stationary bicycle cycling. As you progress, the difficulty level increases, challenging your heart to work more vigorously and beat more rapidly. Throughout this process, the medical team tracks your heart rate, blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns, and any symptoms you might exhibit. You continue the test until you reach a target heart rate or experience symptoms that require stopping. In the recovery phase, your heart rate is monitored as it returns to resting.
Doctors may recommend different stress tests based on your health. The treadmill or stationary bike exercise stress test is the most common. A nuclear stress test involves introducing a small quantity of radioactive material into your bloodstream, allowing specialized cameras to capture images of blood circulation through your heart during rest and exertion. Stress echocardiography detects cardiac muscle response to stress by taking ultrasound images before and after exercise.
Patients who cannot exercise undergo pharmacological stress tests. The cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) offers a comprehensive evaluation, measuring not only heart function but also lung performance and overall physical fitness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visualizes your heart before and during pharmacological stress.
Stress tests are essential for diagnosing coronary artery disease, evaluating cardiac treatments, setting safe exercise parameters for heart patients, assessing risks before major surgery, and detecting abnormal heart rhythms. By detecting potential issues early, stress tests help prevent cardiac issues and guide treatment.
Trust your heart health to CVG’s twenty board-certified cardiologists. Equipped with leading-edge diagnostic tools, a wealth of experience, and compassion, our cardiac team provides the highest level of personalized care.
You can review our cardiologists’ pages and explore their exceptional credentials and dedication to providing quality care. You can trust that our doctors genuinely care about you and will do everything they can to ensure you have the best quality of life possible.
To learn more, please call (770) 962-0399 or 678-582-8586. You may also request an appointment online. If you have an emergency, don’t contact us online; please call 911.