Exercise stress test for adults

• You should eat a light meal 2 hours before the test and then refrain from eating until the test (you can drink water).
• You should refrain from smoking for approximately 4 hours before the test.
• The day before and on the day of the examination, you should not drink alcohol.
• Please wear comfortable clothes, take a change of sports shoes and bring drinking water.
• Please bring the results of any previously performed stress tests, ECGs and other cardiological tests along with information sheets from your hospital treatment.
• Please bring a list of medications you regularly take and the doses you take.
• If the patient is taking medications on the day of the examination, they should take them as directed by their physician.
• Diabetic patients should bring food and drinking water with them.
• Before the examination, do not apply creams or ointments to the skin – the skin should be clean, dry and degreased.
• You should arrive for the examination approximately 30 minutes before the start of the examination and reserve 15 minutes after the examination to rest.

An exercise ECG, also known as a cardiac stress test, detects changes in the heart's electrical activity (indicating, for example, myocardial ischemia) that occur during exercise. It is a non-invasive test that helps diagnose coronary artery disease.
Before the test, after skin preparation (shaving and degreasing), ECG electrodes are applied to the chest and a blood pressure cuff is applied. A resting ECG is then performed. The patient is asked to report any alarming symptoms, such as chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, or severe fatigue. Blood pressure and ECG are regularly recorded. The exercise test lasts approximately 20 minutes and is performed on a treadmill. The test is stopped when the expected heart rate for age is reached, symptoms occur, or ECG changes appear. After the test, the doctor analyzes and reports the test results. The exercise test allows for the assessment of heart function in response to increased physical exertion.

• explaining the causes of chest pain,
• the presence of risk factors for coronary heart disease such as obesity, hypertension, elevated cholesterol levels,
• smoking cigarettes,
• heart disease in the family,
• diagnosis, assessment of the severity and effectiveness of treatment of coronary heart disease,
• qualification for invasive tests (coronary angiography) and as a follow-up examination after plastic surgery or bypass surgery,
• diagnosis of heart rhythm disturbances occurring during or after exercise,
• establishing a rehabilitation plan for a person after a heart attack or with heart disease,
• assessment of physical fitness and circulatory system function.