The exercise test, popularly known as exercise test or treadmill test, serves to assess the functioning of the heart during physical effort. It can be done on the treadmill or on the exercise bike, allowing speed and effort to be increased gradually, depending on the capacity of each person.
Thus, this exam imitates moments of effort during the day-to-day, such as climbing stairs or a slope, for example, which are situations that can cause discomfort or shortness of breath in people at risk of heart attack.
How to prepare for the exam
To perform the exercise test, some precautions must be taken, such as:
- Do not exercise 24 hours before taking the test; Sleep well the night before the test; Do not fast for the test; Eat easily digestible foods such as yogurt, apple or rice, 2 hours before the test; Wear comfortable clothing for physical exercise and tennis; Do not smoke 2 hours before and 1 hour after the exam; Take a list of the medicines you take.
Some complications may arise during the exam, such as arrhythmias, heart attacks and even cardiopulmonary arrest, especially in people who already have a serious heart problem, so the exercise test should be done by a cardiologist.
The test result is also interpreted by the cardiologist, who may initiate treatment or indicate other complementary tests for the investigation of the heart, such as myocardial scintigraphy or echocardiogram with stress and even a cardiac catheterization. Find out what are the other tests to assess the heart.
Exercise test price
The price of the exercise test is approximately 200 reais.
When should be done
The indications for performing the exercise test are:
- Suspected heart disease and circulation, such as angina or pre-infarction; Investigation of chest pain due to infarction, arrhythmias or heart murmur; Observation of changes in pressure during exertion, in the investigation of arterial hypertension; Evaluation of the heart to perform detection of changes caused by heart murmur and defects in their valves.
In this way, the general practitioner or cardiologist can request the exercise test when the patient has cardiac symptoms such as chest pain on exertion, some types of dizziness, palpitations, hypertensive peaks, in order to help find the cause.
When it shouldn't be done
This test should not be done by patients who have physical limitations, such as the impossibility of walking or cycling, or who have an acute illness, such as an infection, which can alter the person's physical capacity. In addition, due to the increased risk of cardiac complications, it should be avoided in the following situations:
- Suspected acute myocardial infarction; Unstable angina pectoris; Decompensated heart failure; Myocarditis and pericarditis;
In addition, this test should be avoided during pregnancy, because, although physical exercise can be done during this period, episodes of breathlessness or nausea may occur during the test.
