A stress ECG, also called an exercise stress test, cardiac stress test, exercise ECG or stress test, is a test that allows doctors to see how your heart reacts to activity.
It records your heart’s electrical activity, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and how tired you feel whilst exercising.
Sensors called electrodes are placed on your chest and arms or shoulders and are connected to the ECG machine. You will be asked to exercise on a treadmill or exercise bike. The activity level starts low and increases. The ECG machine will record your heartbeat and heart waves in an electrocardiogram graph.
Towards the end, you may breathe into a mouthpiece that measures the air you breathe out.
A stress ECG shows how well your heart functions during increased activity. This is used to help assess if your heart is healthy or if you have any heart problems. A stress ECG shows how fast your heart is beating, analyses your heart rhythm and measures the strength and timing of electrical signals as they pass through each part of your heart.
It is a useful test to:
A stress ECG test usually takes between a few minutes and 15 minutes.
The cost of a stress ECG will depend on the length and type of stress ECG requested by your doctor and your Ramsay hospital of choice.
You will receive a formal quotation price for your stress electrocardiogram following your consultation with one of our expert cardiologists. This formal quote for stress ECG will be valid for 60 days.
Ramsay is recognised by all major medical insurers. A stress ECG is covered by most medical insurance policies as long as it is deemed medically necessary by your doctor. We advise you to obtain written authorisation from your insurance provider before your stress ECG
We have a number of finance options if you are paying for your stress ECG test yourself. We offer interest-free finance so you pay 0% interest, no deposit and benefit from affordable monthly instalments.
Our hospitals follow strict infection control protocol so you can rest assured that your safety is our primary concern.
A stress ECG is a simple test that records the electrical activity of your heart, your heart rate and your blood pressure under different levels of physical activity.
It enables your doctor to understand how well your heart is working and to detect any heart problems. A stress ECG can help detect abnormal heart rhythms, inadequate blood flow, heart valve malfunction and coronary artery disease.
Stress ECG is offered at many Ramsay hospitals as part of their wide-ranging diagnostic cardiology services.
Our highly-experienced team will carefully monitor you whilst performing a stress ECG and skilfully interpret the ECG graph. We use the latest stress ECG equipment.
If a stress ECG indicates coronary heart disease you will have access to further cardiovascular tests without waiting to confirm these findings.
Dr Audrius Simaitis
Dr Audrius Simaitis is a Consultant Cardiologist Surgeon in Truro, Cornwall
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