Know when to take the stress test

The ergometric test, popularly known as stress test or treadmill test, is used to evaluate the functioning of the heart during physical exertion. It can be done on the treadmill or on the exercise bike, allowing speed and effort to be increased gradually, depending on the capacity of each person.

Thus, this exam mimics moments of effort during the day, such as climbing stairs or a slope, for example, which are situations that can cause discomfort or shortness of breath in people at risk for heart attack.

Preparation for the ergometric test

In order to perform the ergometric test, care must be taken, such as:

• Do not perform physical exercise 24 hours before taking the test;
• Sleep well the night before the test;
• Do not fast for the exam;
• Eat easily digestible foods, such as yogurt, apple or rice, 2 hours before the test;
• Wear comfortable clothing for exercise and sneakers;
• No smoking 2 hours before and 1 hour after the examination;
• Take a list of the medicines you take.

Some complications may arise during the examination, such as arrhythmias, heart attacks and even cardiorespiratory arrest, especially in people who already have a serious heart problem, so the exercise test should be done by a cardiologist.

The result of the examination is also interpreted by the cardiologist, who may initiate treatment or indicate other complementary tests for the investigation of the heart, such as myocardial scintigraphy or stress echocardiography and even cardiac catheterization. Find out what other tests are to evaluate the heart.

Exercise treadmill price

The price of the ergometric test is approximately 200 reais.

When requested

Indications for performing the ergometric test are:

• Suspected of diseases and circulation of the heart, such as angina or pre-infarction;
• Investigation of chest pain due to infarction, arrhythmias or cardiac murmur;
• Observation of changes in pressure during exercise, in the investigation of hypertension;
• Evaluation of the heart for physical activity;
• Detection of changes caused by heart murmurs and defects in their valves.

In this way, the general practitioner or cardiologist can request the ergometric test when the patient has cardiac symptoms such as chest pain to the efforts, some types of dizziness, palpitations, hypertensive spikes, to thus help find the cause.

When it should not be done

This test should not be done by patients who have physical limitations, such as being unable to walk or pedaling, or who have an acute illness, such as an infection, which can alter the person's physical capacity. In addition, due to the increased risk of cardiac complications, it should be avoided in the following situations:

• Suspected acute myocardial infarction;
• Unstable breast angina;
• Decompensated heart failure;
• Myocarditis and pericarditis;

In addition, this test should be avoided during pregnancy because, although physical exercise can be done during this period, episodes of shortness of breath or motion sickness may occur during the examination.