Exercise Stress Test
This service is performed in our outpatients department by a high skilled cardiac team.
The Exercise Stress Test assesses the behaviour of the heart during exertion. It aims to determine whether the heart muscle receives enough oxygen during exercise, as decreased oxygen supply may cause chest discomfort and shortness of breath, among other symptoms. Such a decrease can, in some cases, be caused by a narrowing in one or more of the coronary arteries, which may require further investigation and treatment.
You may be referred for an Exercise Stress Test if you have had some of these or other symptoms, if you have a positive family history of heart disease, or for the purposes of screening.
Your stress test may take up to 45 minutes in total, allowing for preparation, exercise and recovery time.
Following your test, your results will be reviewed and reported on by a cardiologist and the report will be forwarded to your referring doctor. This process can take 3-5 working days.
If the physiologist feels that an immediate clinical review is indicated, either by the results of your test or by your symptoms, you will be asked to wait after your test while a member of the medical staff is contacted.