Stress Tests

A stress test is the best way to measure your cardiovascular activity while you’re placing a higher demand on it, usually through walking or running. If your standard echocardiogram doesn’t provide enough information for your doctor, they may investigate your problem further through a stress test, which can provide key additional information.

During your stress test, out staff will hook you up to electrodes, and have you walk on a treadmill to get your heart rate up. The electrodes record the activity in your heart and provide your doctor with critical information. A nuclear stress test may also be ordered if the doctor sees fit.

If your doctor suspects you may have one of the following, a stress test helps to rule out or confirm a diagnosis:

• Coronary artery disease
• Arrhythmia
• Heart valve defects

Most heart and vascular diagnoses can benefit from the additional information a stress test provides to detect malfunctions or blockages.

The team at St. Louis Heart and Vascular makes sure you have the full preparation instructions well in advance of your stress test, which outline things like:

• Not eating before a stress test
• No caffeine for a certain amount of time beforehand
• No tobacco leading up to your test
• Wearing comfortable clothes and sneakers for your test

Armed with the valuable information a stress test provides, your doctor at St. Louis Heart and Vascular sets to work to improve your heart health. The treatments or recommendations may include one or more of the following:

• Medications, if necessary
• Lifestyle modifications, especially curbing tobacco and alcohol use
• Weight loss, including the DASH diet, which stands for
• Dietary approaches to stop hypertension
• Exercise programs
• Stents
• Bypass surgery

Your doctor’s goal is to remedy your problem without resorting to invasive procedures, so it’s important that you follow your treatment plans.

To learn more about what a stress test can reveal about your heart health, call St. Louis Heart and Vascular at one of our seven locations to schedule an appointment.