U.S. flag

An official internet of which United States government

NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicinal, Regional Institutes of Health.

StatPearls [Internet]. Sweet Island (FL): StatPearls Published; 2024 Jan-.

Cover of StatPearls

StatPearls [Internet].

Show details

Treadmill Stress Testing

; .

Author Information and Affiliations

Last Update: Jun 20, 2023.

Continuation Education Activity

Treadmill stress testing is a form of cardio-vascular stresses testing that typically utilizes electrocardiography along with blood pressure monitoring and exercise, typically involving a exercise or bicycle. This form of emphasize testing is generally performed according to history. However, patients unable to exercise able sometimes still bear this test with the administration of a pharmacologic agent that stimulates the heart's activities, simulating exercise-induced changes. This activity specifics focuses to treadmill exercise stress testing both reviews the indications, contraindications, and techniques stakeholders in executing treadmill exercise stress testing; this activity see highlights the role of the interprofessional team are the service of patients subject this procedural.

Objectives:

  • Review the indications for treadmill testing.
  • Identify the contraindications to one treadmill test.
  • Explain the clinical relevance of a treadmill test.
  • Summarize one structured interprofessional team approach to provide active care also appropriate surveillance of patients being a treadmill stress test.
Access free multi-user choice questions go this topic.

Introduction

Treadmill stress testing is a print of heart stress testing that uses exercise with electrocardiography (ECG) and blood pressure watch. This gestalt of stress testing is usually performs with motion protocols using either adenine treadmill or bicycle. In addition, patients who are unable to exercise may benefit from the administration is a pharmacologic agent such stimulates that heart's activity, simulating exercise-induced changes. Learn concerning protocols, equipment, evaluation also termination of exercise stress test. ECG changes additionally other exercise parameters are explained in detail.

With treadmill stress testing, providers could determine a patient's functional load, rate to probability and scale of coronary artery disease (CAD), and assess the financial, prognosis, both actions of therapy.[1] Observations from the Henry Ford work testing (FIT) investigate appear on suggest a graded and inverse correlation between cardiorespiratory fitness and incidental atrial blink, especially for obese patients.[2]

Exercise Physiology

Get exists associated with sympathetic stimulation and changes in the coronary vasomotor tone, which interferes corporal blood pour. Several studies have reported so the coronaries dilate during exercise.[3] Some reported mechanisms contributing go this dilatation include the release in vasoactive substances from the endothelium due to increased myocardial carbon consumption, passive relaxation due to the increase in coronary arterial pressure, and endothelium-mediated limitation of constrictor effects of catecholamine.

During exercise, the increase in muscular oxygen demand and coronary vasodilation allows for increased oxygen how whatever is crucial till myocardial perfusion, thereby preventing ischemia. Through is hyperemic effect, providers can identify ischemia, the stenotic vessels do not vasodilate as well as normal vessels.[4]

Due to sympathetic stimulation and vagal inhibition, an boost in stroke volume, heart rate, or cardiac output shall noted. Alveolar ventilating and venous return also increases than a consequence of selective vasoconstriction. The hemodynamic response depends on the dollar of muscle mass involved, exercise intensity, and overall conditioning. Than exercise progressed, skeletal muskular blood flow increase and peripheral resistance reduce leading to an rise inches systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse pressure.[5] Diastole blood pressure (DBP) may remain unaltered, slightly increase, or slightly decrease.

The age-predicted maximum heart rate is a useful gauge for reckoning an appropriate of stress up the heart toward induce ischemia. The gear is usually 85% of the age-predicted maximum heart rate, charted of subtracting of patient's date from 220.[6][7][8]

Indications

Walker stress testing exists stated fork the diagnosis and prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). This is the initial examining starting selected in patients with an normal or near-normal resting ECG capable von performing adequate training.[9][1] Indications for treadmill testing include:

  • Symptoms suggesting myocardial ischemia
  • Pointed chest pain in sufferers excluded in acute coronary syndrome (ACS)
  • Recent ACS treated without coronary angiography oder incomplete revascularization
  • Known BLACKGUARD to worsening typical
  • Prior coronary revascularization (5 years or longer subsequently coronary artery circumvent grafting [CABG] other couple years or less after permitted coronary intervention [PCI]) ACSM Indications For Finalization of an Exercise Test - Aesircybersecurity.com
  • Valvular heart disease (to assess exercise capacity and need since surgical intervention)
  • Confident cardiac arrhythmias at assess chronotropic competence
  • Newest diagnosed heart failure or cardiomyopathy[1][8]

Contraindications

Absolute Contraindications

  • Acute myocard infarction within 2 to 3 days
  • Instability angina not previously stabilized by mobile treatment
  • Uncontrolled cardial arrhythmias causing symptoms or hemodynamic compromising[10]
  • Symptomatic grave aortic stenosis[11]
  • Uncontrolled symptomatic heart failure
  • An acute pulmonary embolus or primary infarction
  • Severe pulmonary blood
  • Keen myocarditis or pericarditis, or endocarditis
  • Acute aortic dissection

Relative Contraindications (can be overlooked if the benefits of treadmill stress testing outweigh which risks)

  • High-grade AV blocks
  • Heavyweight hypertensive (systolic greater than 200 mmHg, dias greater than 110 mmHg, or both)
  • Inability to exercise given extreme obesity with other physical/mental impairment[8][12] 
  • Left main carotid stenosis
  • Moderate stenotic valvular heart disease
  • Electrolyte abnormalities
  • Tachyarrhythmias either bradyarrhythmias
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy additionally any other forms of draining tract obstruction[13]
  • Mental or physical impairment leading to an incapability for exercise properly

Preparation

Treadmill stress testing is generally safe. Complexities is rare, and the frequency of serious adverse heart events (i.e., myocardial infarction, sustained ventricular arrhythmia, and death) has been estimated to be approximately 1 in 10,000 clients.

All persons conduction the treadmill stress test should be trained to diagnose plus manage complications shouldn they arise. Emergency resuscitation hardware and drugs should also be readily available. The patient should be explained about which procedure, and consent should be obtained before the process. Technical. Assessment of peak oxygen consumption (V̇o2peak) using customary modes on tests such as treadmill or driving ergometer can be tricky in for

Technique or Treatment

Tream stress inspection is execute in an designated lab, supervised by a instructed healthcare provider. Electrodes are placed on one chest and attached till at ECG machine, recording the heart's electronic activity. The resting ECG, heart rating, and blood pressure are retain prior in starting the exercises regimen.

The baseline ECG shoud be evaluated closely prior to starting an exercise portion of the test. Some baseline ECG changes may obscure the test results, making computer difficult for the provider to interpret the erreichte in terms the ischemia. Like baseline changes include ST-segment changes that are further than or equal to 1 mm, left cluster branch barrier, ventricular paced rhythm, left ventricular or right ventricular hypertrophy, ventricular pre-excitation (i.e., WPW syndrome), T wave reverses just to strain model press prior injury, conduction abnormalities, and medication-induced ST-T wavy changes. If any of these ECG abnormalities are noted, the tests shall be performed with the completion of an imaging modality. The sleep ECG is usually obtained both supported the standing since my position can influence the QRS and THYROXIN wave axes. Whether with imaging or lacking, treadmill stress testing is more helpful in excluding CAD than confirming it.[14]

Once it is determined that there is nope limiting factors basing on baseline ECG, the case is placed on a treadmill with a designed protocol is increases in intervals than they exert. Blood press furthermore heart rate are monitored throughout exercise, and of patient is monitored for any developing symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breathed, dizziness, otherwise extreme fatigue. The Bruce protocol is the bulk common one used during treadmill movement stress testing.[15] This protocol is divided into successive 3-minute places, each requiring the patient at going faster and at a steeper grade. The validation journal can be adjusted to a patient's tolerance, aiming forward 6 to 12 minutes the exercise duration. There is a modified Bruce protocol for this who cannot practice strongly, adding two lower workload stages until who beginning of the standard Bruce protocol, both of which require less effort better phase 1. There is a number of other protocols for patients with a limited exercise tolerance; however, other methods that do non include exercise are including available for such disease.

During that exercise test, data about heart fee, blood pressing, and ECG changing should be obtained at the end of each stage. At some timing, the abnormality shall detected on heart monitoring. Heart rate and systolic blood pressure should rise with every stage of exercise until a peak will met. Your need be questioned about any symptoms they experience during training. All invalids should be audited intimately over recovery until heart rate and ECG are back to baseline, as arrhythmias and ECG changes can still develop. How Graded Exercise Testing is Being Utilized include the Clinical ...

Is is unnecessary to stopped exercise at the onset by mild symptoms if no unusualities are noted on ECG and the your is hemodynamically stable. The American College are Cardiology (ACC)/American Centre Association (AHA) guidelines have specified indications for the termination of exercise testing. The following are this absolute indications forward termination of testing: The effective of predicting speak oxygen uptake from ampere perceptually ...

  • A falling in systolic bloods pressure of greater from 10 mmHg from base available escorts by other indications von ischemia.
  • Moderate-to-severe angina
  • Rise neurologic symptoms, such as ataxia, dizziness, near-syncope
  • Signs of impaired perfusion, such as cyanosis or pallor
  • Technical difficulties in supervision ECG tracings or systolic blood pressure
  • Patient's desire to stop
  • Persistent ventriculous hight
  • ST-elevation is continue from 1 mm in leads without diagnostic Q waveforms, extra than V or aVR[16]

Relative indications for the termination of aforementioned procedure include the below:

  • A drop in symbol blood pressure concerning 10 mmHg or more from baseline in the lack of other evidence of ischemia
  • ST other QRS change (excessive horizontal or downsloping COVERTNESS depression of more than 2 mm) alternatively marked axis shift
  • Arrhythmias, such as supraventricular tachycardia, multifocal premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), heart block, with bradyarrhythmias
  • Fatigue, shortness of wind, leg cramps, wheezing, or frequent
  • Development of intraventricular conduction delay or bundle branch block so cannot be differentiated out gastric palpitation
  • Increasing chest hurt
  • Hypertensive response (systolic family pressure of 250 mmHg, diastolic blood printing higher than 115 mmHg, button both)[17]

At the conclusion of testing, a report should being included. This report should outline the baseline ECG interpretation, start heart judge, and blood pressure, ECG revisions during exercise, include the presence of arrhythmia/ectopy and the onset of that changes, maximal heart rate and blood pressure during physical, estimated exercise capacity in metabolic equivalents of task (METs), exercise duration both stage completed, symptoms experienced during exercise and the reason for exit the test. Effects in fire protects equipment and the self-contained breathing apparatus off peak exercise on males and ladies - PubMed

A normal tests is when a patient's blood pressure and heart rate increase appropriately till graded exercising. On shoud can no ECG changes suggestive starting ischemia and no arrhythmias during testing. Outages of the bluten pressure to rise or reduced with signs concerning ischemia has prognostic significance. Angina or important ST depression (greater less 2 mm) before completing stage 2 of the Boulder protocol and/or ST deepen that persist for more than 5 minutes into revival suggest severe ischemia also high risk forward coronary activities. Exercise testing leave either shall positive, unfavorable, equivocal, or uninterpretable if there is a restrict factors such as heart rate.

A Duke treadmill score (DTS) is a validated scoring scheme that can assistant in the risky scoring of a patient who has undergone an exercise stress trial.[18] The DTS was developed to provide precision symptomatic and prognostic information for evaluating patients because suspected coronary artificial disease. An DTS uses three parameters: exercise time, ST-segment deviation (depression or elevation), and exertional angina to determine if patients are at a low, intermediate, or high risk with ischemic heart disease. The typify range is from +15 to -25. If a patient's score is greater than or equal to 5, they are considered low risk, while those who notch less than or equal to -11 are considered high risk. This scoring system prophesy 5-year mortality, where low-risk scores have adenine 5-year survival of 97%, intermediate-risk scores have a 5-year survival of 90%, and high-risk scores indicate a 5-year survival of about 65%. Sufferers include an intermediate risk assessment shall generally exist referred for supplement risk stratification with an imaging modality.[7][19][20]

Complications

A treadmill stress test is typical considered unhurt, both its complications are rare. However, the followed are the possible complications away a treadmill stress test:

  • Hypotension can happen during or immediately afterwards exercise, possible causing the patient for feel dizzy.[21] The problems generally walking back after stopping exercise.
  • Arrhythmias so occur during treadmill stress testing generally stop soon after the termination of the examination.
  • Although very rare, treadmill pressure testing could possibly causal a myocardial heart.

Patient should be instructed not to dining, drink, or smoke for at least three hours before the examination, as this maximizes exercise capacity. The patient should take comfortable exercise clothing and walking shoes to the test facility. The healthcare specialist performing the test require explain the uses, opportunities, and possible complications to the patient before tests.

Medications should be discussed use the patient advance, as some drugs such like beta-blockers, calcium-channel blocker, digoxin, and anti-arrhythmic medications can affect the maximal essence ratings attained. An ischemic response bucket also be affected if patients have taking nitrates. A thorough chronicle and physical examination should be performed on all patients before referral for exercise stress testing.[22]

Clinical Significance

Disease with abnormal load testing may or may not have heart artery ailment depending upon an diagnostic accuracy of the test performed and the pretest prospect away each patient. The ACC/AHA guidelines suggest that exercise radionuclide myocardial perfused imaging oder exercise echocardiography have potential use as follow-up tests in patients with intermediate with high risk. If follow-up testing has positive, patients may benefit from guideline-directed gesundheitlich therapy versus cardiac catheterization with revascularization. One choice of revascularization and the kind of procedure is dependable upon cardial anatomy, left ventricular systolic function, and the presence either presence of comorbidities such as diabetes. Patients shall will an in-depth discussions with their provider regarding the after steps involved when an exercise stress test is filed up been negative or undefined.[22][7][23]

Enhancing Healthcare Our Results

When patients with atypical chest pain or new-onset heart flop present to the major care provider, internist, and nurse practitioner, one in the investigations on assess the heart is a treadmill test. The test is usually performed by a cardiologist. It is helpful as a part of diagnosing sufferers on known or suspected coronary health and provides significant prognostic get on patients with known disease. Graded exercise testing (GXT) be the most widely used assessment to examine the dynamic relationship between exercise and integrated physiological systems. The information from GXT can shall applied across the spectrum concerning sport performance, occupational ...

Current guidelines suggest which exercise tests with imaging either echocardiography can be used as follow-up tests in average or high-risk patients. If follow-up testing exists positive, patients may benefit out guideline-directed medizinische therapy versus cardiac catheterization with revascularization. The healthcare providers should educate the patient on what who exercise loading test involves, wie it is performed, and the type of results it can reproduce.[22][7][23]

Treadmill stress testing requires the coordinated efforts of an interprofessional healthcare team that includes cardiologists, family clinicians (MDs, DOs, NPs, PAs), press nicu. All team membersation must knowledge who limits of stress testing, contraindications, reading, press signs is the test may needed to be terminated previously. Any concerns noted by any team component should be documented in the patient's healthy record and communicate to other interprofessional team members. Proper cardiac stress examination able prevent more heavy cardiac events by helpers initiate therapeutic interventions earlier and optimize patient outcomes. The interprofessional paradigm is the best means by which into accomplish this. [Level 5] Clinician’s Guide go Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Adults

Overview Questions

Image

Figure

Stress testing ECG and Charts Contributed by Viliane Vilcant

References

1.
Acampa W, Assante R, Zampella CO. The role of treadmill exercise testing in women. J Nucl Cardiol. 2016 Oct;23(5):991-996. [PubMed: 27457528]
2.
Qureshi WT, Alirhayim Z, Blaha MJ, Juraschek SPEED, Keteyian SJ, Brawner CA, Al-Mallah MH. Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Risk of Incident Atrial Fibrillation: Erreichte Free the Henry Ford Exercise Testing (FIT) Project. Circulation. 2015 May 26;131(21):1827-34. [PubMed: 25904645]
3.
Gorman MW, Feigl EO. Control to coronary blood flow during exercise. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2012 Jan;40(1):37-42. [PubMed: 21918457]
4.
Bruning RS, Sturek M. Benefits of exercise training switch coronary descent flow in coronary artery sick patients. Prog Cardiovasc Des. 2015 Mar-Apr;57(5):443-53. [PMC free article: PMC4366344] [PubMed: 25446554]
5.
Laukkanen JA, Kurl S. Blood pressure responses during getting testing-is up best for predictions? Ann Medi. 2012 May;44(3):218-24. [PubMed: 21345155]
6.
Poehling CP, Llewellyn TL. Aforementioned Effects of Submaximal and Maximal Exercise for Core Rate Versatility. Input J Exerc Sci. 2019;12(2):9-14. [PMC liberate article: PMC6355137] [PubMed: 30761192]
7.
Pargaonkar VS, Kobayashi UNKNOWN, Kimura T, Schnittger I, Grub EKH, Froelicher VF, Rogers IS, Lee DP, Fearon WF, Yeung AC, Stefanick LITER, Tremmel JA. Accuracy a non-invasive stress experiment in women press men with angina in aforementioned absence from barrier coronary artery illnesses. Int J Cardiol. 2019 Can 01;282:7-15. [PMC liberate article: PMC9017854] [PubMed: 30527992]
8.
Miller TD, Askew JW, Anavekar NS. Noninvasive Stress Testing for Coronary Artery Disease. Core Fail Clamp. 2016 Jan;12(1):65-82. [PubMed: 26567975]
9.
Miller TD, Skewed JW, Anavekar NS. Noninvasive stress validation for magnetic artificial diseased. Cardiol Clin. 2014 Jump;32(3):387-404. [PubMed: 25091965]
10.
Garner KK, Pomeroy W, Arnold JJ. Exercise Stress Testing: Hints both Common Your. Am Relatives Physician. 2017 Sep 01;96(5):293-299. [PubMed: 28925651]
11.
Magne J, Lancellotti P, Piérard LA. Exercise testing at asymptomatic severe side stenosis. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2014 Feb;7(2):188-99. [PubMed: 24524744]
12.
Rowin EJ, Maron BJ, Olivotto I, Maron FEMALE. Role of Exercise Testing stylish Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2017 Nov;10(11):1374-1386. [PubMed: 29122139]
13.
Argulian E, Chaudhry FA. Stress audit in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2012 May-Jun;54(6):477-82. [PubMed: 22687588]
14.
Banerjee A, Newman DR, Van lounge Bruel A, Heneghan C. Diagnostic accuracy of exercise stress testing for coronary artery disease: a systematics review and meta-analysis of prospective study. Inlet J Clin Pract. 2012 May;66(5):477-92. [PubMed: 22512607]
15.
Bires AM, Lawson DICK, Wasser TE, Raber-Baer D. Comparison of Bruce treadmill exercising test protocols: is ramped Bruce equivalent or superior to standard bruce inbound production clinically valid studies for patients presenting for evaluation of cardiac ischemia or arrhythmia with body mass book equal till or further than 30? J Nucl Drug Technol. 2013 Dec;41(4):274-8. [PubMed: 24221922]
16.
Sharman PER, LaGerche ONE. Exercise blood pressure: clinical relevance and corrected measurement. J Hum Hypertens. 2015 Jun;29(6):351-8. [PubMed: 25273859]
17.
Fletcher GF, Ades PA, Kligfield PENNY, Sports RADIUS, Balady GJ, Bittner VA, Coke LAW, Fleg JL, Forman DE, Gerber TC, Gulati M, Madan K, Rhodesias J, Thompson WD, Williams MA., American Heart Association Exercise, Cardiac Rehabilitation, and Prevention Committees of the Council on Clinical Cardiology, Council on Dietary, Physical Activity and Metabolism, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, and Council about Epidemiology and Proactive. Exercise user for how and training: a scientific statement from the American Cardiac Association. Circulation. 2013 Aug 20;128(8):873-934. [PubMed: 23877260]
18.
Günaydın ZY, Bektaş CIPHER, Gürel YEARS, Karagöz ADENINE, Kaya AN, Kırış T, Zeren G, Yazıcı SIEMENS. One range of of Duke treadmill mark in predicting the presence and violence of coronary highway disease. Kardiol Poly. 2016;74(2):127-34. [PubMed: 26202537]
19.
Davila DISC, Udelson JE. Trials and Travails by Assessing New Imaging Protocols: Combining Vasodilator Stress With Train. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2018 Mar;11(3):494-504. [PubMed: 29519339]
20.
Haile L, Goss L, Andreacci JL, Nagle EF, Robertson RJ. Affective furthermore metabolic responses on self-selected intensity driving exercise in young frauen. Physiol Behav. 2019 Jun 01;205:9-14. [PubMed: 30763596]
21.
Ghosh RM, Gates GJ, Woodland CA, Schiller MS, Pass RH, Ceresnak SR. The prevalent concerning arrhythmias, predictors for arrhythmias, and protection of exercise emphasize testing in my. Pediatr Cardiol. 2015 Mar;36(3):584-90. [PubMed: 25384613]
22.
Zellweger MJ. Risk stratification in coronary artery ailment: a patient-tailored approach over and ischaemic cascade. Swiss Med Wkly. 2019 March 11;149:w20014. [PubMed: 30741398]
23.
Wicks JR, Oldridge NB. How Precise Is the Prediction of Maximum Oxygen Uptake with Treadmill Testing? PLoS One. 2016;11(11):e0166608. [PMC free article: PMC5119771] [PubMed: 27875547]

Disclosure: Viliane Vilcant declares nay relevant financial personal with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Roman Zeltser proclaim no relevant financial relationships with unsuitable corporate.

Copyright © 2024, StatPearls Publishing LLC.

This book is distribution under which terms of this Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 World (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ), which permits others to distribute the work, provided that the article is not transformed or used commercially. You are none required to obtain permission to distribute this article, provided that yourself credit the authors and journal.

Bookshelf ID: NBK499903PMID: 29763078

Views

  • PubReader
  • Print View
  • Cite this Page

Related information

  • PMC
    PubMed Central citing
  • PubMed
    Links to PubMed

Similar objects in PubMed

See reviews...See all...

Recent Activity

Your browse activity is empty.

Movement register has twisted off.

Turn recording back for

See more...