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Exercise stress test
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The exercise stress test is a study of the heart done while the person exercises, almost always walking on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary bike. The whole time, the electrocardiogram, the tracing of the heart's electrical activity, is being recorded, and blood pressure is measured along the way.
The reason for doing it with exercise rather than at rest is physical. Under exertion the myocardium, the heart muscle, needs more oxygen, and the coronary arteries that feed it widen to deliver it. That is where the difference shows up: an artery with a stenosis, that is, a narrowing, cannot widen as much as a normal one. Exercise asks the heart for what rest never asks of it.
That is why the test does two things: it shows how much exertion a person can handle, which is called functional capacity, and it estimates how likely that person is to have coronary artery disease. It is worth knowing its limit as well: it is better at ruling that disease out than at confirming it.
In brief
The exercise stress test is a cardiovascular test that pairs exercise, almost always on a treadmill or stationary bike, with an electrocardiogram and blood pressure measurement.
With exercise, myocardial oxygen demand and coronary vasodilation both rise, but vessels with a stenosis do not dilate as normal ones do.
Exercise asks the heart for what rest never asks of it.
It therefore serves to assess functional capacity and the likelihood of coronary artery disease, and is better at ruling that disease out than at confirming it.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingTreadmill Stress Testing, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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