Exercise Treadmill Stress Test

General Description
     Exercising on a treadmill to increase heart rate while being monitored with a continuous electrocardiogram. Allows the cardiologist to assess for suspicion of coronary artery disease and/or exercise tolerance.

     In some cases, the cardiologist might recommend T-wave Alternans Testing. T-wave Alternans testing alllows our cardiologists to identify those at risk of sudden cardiac death, and formulate the proper treatment startegy to prevent it. This testing modality is effective for identifying those at risk for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, the most common cause of sudden cardiac death. Electrodes that monitor heart rate and rhythm are placed on the chest; the heart rate is raised between 90 and 110 beats per minute, either by haing the individual walk on a treadmill, or by pacing the heart using catheters. This diagnostic tool is more senstive than electrocardiography, and performed as well as invasive electrophysiological studies in identifying those at risk for ventricular arrhythmias.

Patient Preparation
Wear short and pants or shorts and comfortable walking shoes. Allow 45 minutes for this test.