What is a cardiac stress test?

• A. Exercise electrocardiography that is done to determine if the heart is receiving enough blood during exercise.
• B. A test to measure blood pressure at rest.
• C. An imaging study of the heart.
• D. A blood test to assess cholesterol.

Answer: (A)

A cardiac stress test is an exercise electrocardiography test used to see if the heart receives enough blood flow when the heart’s workload is increased during activity. During the test, you exercise on a treadmill or stationary bike while your heart rhythm and usually blood pressure are monitored. If the heart isn’t getting enough blood under stress, characteristic changes on the ECG or symptoms may appear, helping detect coronary artery disease and assess overall heart function. Resting measurements, an imaging study done separately, or a lipid panel are not stress tests; the imaging or resting methods may be used in other contexts, and a lipid panel simply checks cholesterol levels.