Treadmill Stress Test

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The treadmill stress test involves monitoring the heart’s electrical activity while the patient exercises on a treadmill. By gradually increasing the intensity of the exercise, Dr. Tan Jian Jing assesses how well the heart performs under stress. This dynamic evaluation provides important data on the heart’s response to physical activity, which cannot be captured by resting diagnostic tests alone.

What a treadmill stress test measures

A treadmill stress test records the electrocardiogram, heart rate and blood pressure while you walk on a treadmill that becomes progressively faster and steeper. The purpose is to see how the heart behaves under increasing demand, which can reveal changes that are not present at rest.

The test looks for changes in the ECG tracing during exertion, symptoms brought on by exercise, how the blood pressure and heart rate respond, and how quickly the heart rate settles afterwards. It also gives an objective measure of exercise capacity.

When it is used

The test is commonly arranged when chest discomfort or breathlessness occurs with exertion and settles with rest, to assess exercise tolerance in known coronary artery disease, before starting a demanding exercise programme in someone with risk factors, or to assess how exercise affects a known rhythm problem.

Preparing for the test

You will usually be asked to wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes, and to avoid a heavy meal immediately beforehand. Some medications that slow the heart rate can blunt the response to exercise, so you may be given specific instructions about them — do not stop any prescribed medication on your own without being told to.

What happens during and after

Electrodes are attached to the chest and a blood pressure cuff to the arm. The treadmill starts slowly and increases in stages. You are monitored throughout and the test is stopped when a target is reached, when you have had enough, or earlier if the monitoring suggests it should be. Monitoring continues for several minutes afterwards while the heart rate settles.

A normal result does not exclude all coronary disease, and an abnormal result does not confirm it on its own; the tracing is interpreted alongside your symptoms and risk profile, and may lead to imaging. For questions about suitability or arranging the test, please contact the clinic.