Dr David Lipkin

A stress test, sometimes called a treadmill test or exercise test, helps us to know how the heart copes with exertion.

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The test can show if the blood supply is reduced to the heart. You will walk slowly in place on a treadmill. The speed is then increased for a faster pace and the treadmill is tilted to produce the effect of walking up a hill.

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You can stop the test at any time if needed after which you will sit or lie down to have your heart and blood pressure checked.

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The heart rate and blood pressure and electrocardiogram are monitored during the test.

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We may recommend you have a stress test to diagnose if you have got coronary artery disease to exclude other causes of chest pain and breathlessness or light-headedness, to determine the safe level of exercise for you, to check the effectiveness of procedures done to improve coronary circulation e.g. angioplasty, and to predict the risk of a dangerous heart attack occurring in the future.