An exercise stress test is a screening tool to test the effect of exercise on your heart.  The test gives a general sense of how healthy your heart is.  It is a graded test to measure an individual’s heart rate and oxygen intake while undergoing strenuous physical exercise, as on a treadmill.

The patient walks on an exercise machine while the electrical activity of their heart is measured with an electrocardiogram (ECG), and blood pressure readings are taken.  This will measure the heart’s reaction to your body’s increased need for oxygen.  The test is often done in conjunction with a nuclear scan of the heart which requires an injection and time under the