Stress tests are valuable in detecting and identifying many forms of cardiovascular disease. There is, however, confusion about their limitations and when they have value.
They’re capable of detecting the presence of heart disease, but cannot assess risk factors for developing heart disease. In other words, they only become useful when heart disease has taken hold, and won’t inform you if you’re at risk.
In this article I will discuss how stress tests are carried out, their value for improving heart health, the reasons why people may require one – and what to do if you want to reduce your risk of heart disease.
What is a stress test?
Stress tests are used to evaluate the range of the heart’s ability, typically through walking or running on a treadmill to get the heart working harder.
The test constantly measures symptoms so any heart health issues can be detected. The test can be halted at any point if it appears that the exercise is causing:
- Dizziness
- High or low blood pressure
- Arrhythmia
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
For patients with limited mobility, doctors can conduct stress tests without exercise by using medication to induce the same effects on the heart.
Depending on the results of a stress test, a doctor may decide to conduct a nuclear stress test as well. This involves injecting a tracer dye before the patient repeats the same test as before. Then an imaging test shows the blood flow throughout the body so any blockages can be identified.
A stress test allows doctors to see whether or not you’re suffering from cardiovascular disease – and, if necessary, look at options for improving heart health.
Why you may want a stress test
As the above section shows, stress tests can be immensely valuable. However, people often think they are capable of more than they are.
The most important thing to know is that a stress test has no value when it comes to heart disease prevention. They can only identify cardiovascular disease once it is present in the body, but cannot assess the risk of developing it.
If you want to work on preventing heart disease, the best strategy is to improve your metabolic health and be aware of the potential symptoms of cardiovascular disease, such as:
- Chest pain
- Sickness
- Stomach pain
- Sweating
- Various aches and pains
- Choking sensation
- Swollen ankles
- Lethargy
- Irregular heartbeat
Of course, the problem is many of these symptoms can occur without heart disease. Nonetheless, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms and are worried, you should talk to your doctor or a heart specialist.
Your doctor may then recommend a stress test, but even if a test isn’t needed you can still use these consultations to learn about improving your heart health.
When do doctors recommend stress tests?
Doctors recommend stress tests for a number of reasons:
- Assessing blood flow – radiation shows blood flowing through the body, allowing doctors to identify any areas of a patient’s cardiovascular system that may be blocked or restricted.
- Assessing heart rhythm – the constant monitoring throughout the test can identify whether or not a patient’s heart has an irregular rhythm at any level of activity.
- Confirming the presence of a heart condition – these tests provide a lot of information that can help to confirm heart or cardiovascular illness.
- Evaluating the effects of treatment – these tests can be conducted at various stages of treatment, as comparing these to earlier tests will show the impact treatment is having on an illness and whether or not this treatment plan should be reassessed.
- To determine a fitness plan – these tests can be used to assess a safe level of exercise for sedentary patients or those recovering from heart attacks, stroke or surgery.
Ultimately, doctors can use the results of these tests to help patients with cardiovascular disease to increase heart health, as they can provide vital information at all stages of diagnosis and treatment.
The importance of heart disease prevention
In the medical field there is a huge focus on the treatment of heart disease, with methods such as surgery, medication, heart attack recovery, and methods of diagnosis (such as stress tests). However, there’s a lack of focus on heart disease prevention and, as I’ve said before, prevention is always better than the cure.
Prevention begins with making changes in your daily life in order to take control of your metabolic health. A body in good metabolic health will work to protect itself from chronic illnesses, including heart disease.
To find out more about heart disease prevention and discuss your particular concerns and questions, you can book a free heart specialist online consultation here and I’ll give you a personalized action plan to follow.