Stress Test

By Paula Dranov

This test shows how well your heart works when stressed by exercise.

Who Needs It
Your doctor may recommend a stress test to see if any symptoms, such as chest pain or shortness of breath, are heart-related; to test your exercise capacity; and to predict your risk of heart attack. Until recently, stress tests were believed most effective at identifying hidden heart disease among men but were not considered equally effective for women. A recent study at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, however, showed that they can predict vulnerability for women, too. 

How It’s Done
A stress test involves walking on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary bicycle while wearing electrodes on your chest, arms, and legs and a blood pressure cuff. The electrodes record your heart’s activity, and the cuff takes your blood pressure. As the test progresses, the speed of the treadmill or the resistance on the bicycle are gradually increased.

What You’ll Learn
The results tell you your heart’s exercise capacity and how aerobically fit you are. The test also shows whether you have any heart rhythm irregularities and whether blood flow to the heart is reduced during exercise due to a blockage or narrowing in an artery.

Cost
About $1,000. If ordered by a doctor, it should be covered by health insurance.