By monitoring your heart rhythm, heart rate and blood pressure during exercise, your cardiologist can gain valuable insight into how your cardiovascular system performs under stress.
While some heart conditions may not be apparent when the body is at rest, exercise testing can help identify abnormalities that occur during exertion.
What Happens During the Test?
Before exercise begins, ECG electrodes are attached to your chest to monitor your heart’s electrical activity continuously throughout the test.
You will then walk on a treadmill that gradually increases in speed and incline. Your heart rhythm, blood pressure and symptoms will be closely monitored by a specialist throughout the procedure.
The test is carefully supervised and can be stopped at any point if you experience symptoms or reach the desired exercise level.
Why Might I Need an Exercise Treadmill Test?
Your cardiologist may recommend this test to:
- Investigate chest pain or discomfort
- Assess symptoms occurring during exercise
- Evaluate exercise tolerance
- Investigate palpitations triggered by activity
- Monitor known heart conditions
- Assess fitness for certain occupations or activities
Preparing for Your Appointment
To ensure accurate results, we recommend:
- Wearing comfortable clothing suitable for exercise
- Bringing trainers or supportive footwear
- Avoiding heavy meals immediately before the test
- Following any medication instructions provided by your cardiologist
Is the Test Safe?
Exercise treadmill testing is a well-established and safe investigation performed under close medical supervision. Our experienced clinical team continuously monitors your condition throughout the procedure.
Results and Next Steps
Following the test, your cardiologist will review the findings and explain the results. Depending on the outcome, further investigations or treatment recommendations may be discussed.
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Please note that with increased demand, and long NHS waits, our services and office are under more demand than ever. As a result our staff are exceptionally busy and often working under great pressure.