Nuclear Stress Test

In a stress test, you walk on a treadmill that makes your heart work harder. The treadmill progressively increases in speed and in the incline as per a pre-specified protocol. Your heart rate, blood pressure and EKG are monitored throughout the test. If you are not able to exercise, there are drugs to make your heart respond as if you are exercising.

This stress test is similar to the exercise stress test, however in addition to evaluation of EKG, an evaluation of the blood supply to the heart is made. During this test, a small amount of a radioactive tracer is injected into a vein. A special camera, detects the radiation released by the tracer to produce images of the blood flow to the heart. This may reveal a lack of blood flow that is not always apparent on other heart tests.