Stress Test Health Article

Abnormal results

A number of abnormalities may show up on an exercise stress test. An abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) may indicate deprivation of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle (ST wave segment depression, for example), heart rhythm disturbances, or structural abnormalities of the heart, such as overgrowth of muscle (hypertrophy). If the blood pressure rises too high or the patient experiences distressing symptoms during the test, the heart may be unable to handle the increased workload. Stress test abnormalities usually require further evaluation and therapy.

BOOKS

The Patient's Guide to Medical Tests. Ed. Barry L. Zaret, et al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

PERIODICALS

"Cardiac Stress Testing: New Variations on an Old Theme." Harvard Men's Health Watch 1 (Mar. 1997): 10-4.

Castleman, Michael. "Is It Time for a Stress Test?" The Walking Magazine, Aug. 1995, 20-23.

"Exercise Stress Test." Mayo Clinic Health Letter 17 (Nov. 1994): 6-7.

"Going Somewhere Fast: Heart Test May Spare Extra Procedures." Prevention Magazine, 1 Aug. 1996, 49-50.

Merrill, Jim. "Don't Sweat a Stress Test." Diabetes Forecast (Oct. 1996): 32-36.

Patlak, Margie. "Women and Heart Disease." FDA Consumer (Nov. 1994): 32-36.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Heart Association. 7320 Greenville Ave. Dallas, TX 75231. (214) 373-6300. <http://www.americanheart.org>.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105. (301) 251-1222. <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov>.

Robert Scott Dinsmoor

KEY TERMS

Angina—Chest pain from a poor blood supply to the heart muscle due to narrowing of the coronary arteries.

Cardiac arrhythmia—An irregular heart rate or rhythm.

Coronary arteries—Two arteries that branch off from the aorta and supply blood to the heart.

Defibrillator—A device that delivers an electric shock to the heart muscle through the chest wall in order to restore a normal heart rate.

False negative—Test results showing no problem when one exists.

False positive—Test results showing a problem when one does not exist.

Hypertrophy—The overgrowth of muscle.

Ischemia—Dimished supply of oxygen-rich blood to an organ or area of the body.