An exercise stress test shows your heart's response to exercise. The test records your heartbeat while you walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike. It can be done in a hospital, a test center, or a healthcare provider's office. The test is also called a stress electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG).
An exercise imaging stress test shows how well blood flows inside your heart and how well your heart pumps blood. It gives your healthcare provider more information than a non-imaging stress test.
A sress echocardiogram, or stress echo, is a test that records images of your heart before and after exercise. Here's what you can expect before, during, and after the test.
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the simplest and fastest tests used to evaluate the heart. For this test, electrodes (small, plastic patches that stick to the skin) are placed at certain spots on the chest, arms, and legs. When the electrodes are connected to an ECG machine by wires, the electrical activity of the heart is measured, interpreted, and printed out.