Monitoring how your heart responds to stress using echocardiography combined with exercise.
A stress echo is used to evaluate how the heart reacts to exercise and to determine the blood supply to the heart, thereby helping to detect narrowing of the coronary arteries. Stress echocardiograph usually combines standard echocardiography with an exercise stress test. A baseline echocardiogram is taken, and then the patient exercises until the target heart rate is reached. While exercising, the patient is monitored via EKG and also by wearing a blood pressure cuff. An echo is taken at peak heart rate, then later during recovery as the heart rate slows down.Â
Medication also can be used to simulate the effect of exercise on the heart for patients unable to exercise. This is called a pharmacologic stress test. Both exercise stress tests and pharmacological stress tests improve the diagnostic accuracy of the test and aid the physician in truly determining the presence of significant narrowing of the coronary arteries.
Why do I need a stress echocardiogram?
A Stress Echocardiogram can help determine if you may have heart vessel blockage. The stress portion also helps us to see your functional capacity and how your body responds to exercise.
There are two ways that the stress can be accomplished:
- Stress (Walking)
- You will walk on the treadmill. You will be assisted (coached through the entire process).
- An echo is performed at rest and immediately after getting off the treadmill.
- Dobutamine (Chemically induced)
- You will receive an intravenous line (IV) through which medication is given over time to increase the workload of the heart, thus simulating exercise. You will be lying down on a bed.
- An echo is performed at rest and at select stages during the administering of the medication.
With both types of stress echocardiograms, the echo pictures at rest and peak stress are compared to evaluate how the heart responds to stress or added workload.
How to prepare?
- Do NOT eat or drink anything except water for 6 hours prior to your appointment.
- If you are a diabetic call The Heart and Wellness Institute for special instructions.
- Do NOT wear any lotion, perfume, or powder.
- Stop taking your beta blockers or calcium channel blockers the day before your test, unless otherwise instructed by your physician.
- Wear a shirt that can easily be removed. Shirt and bra will be removed by women.
- Please wear flat comfortable shoes which will remain firmly on your feet as you may be walking on the treadmill. Do not wear sandals, heels, slippers etc.
- If you are taking any medications, please bring them with you.
How long is the test?
The test will take approximately 1-2 hours. Â
When will I get my results?
Dr. Manohar will discuss the results with you after your testing is completed.