Questions posted in the Heart Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Question Title: Thallium wash out

Forum: The Heart Forum
Topic: Stress Test


What is the thallium wash out. Durring the stress test is thier any way
to detect increased adrenaline production which could be the cause of
secondary hypertenstion

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Dear Mr. Sanchez:

Standard stress testing does not allow identification of conditions in which too much adrenaline causes secondary hypertension. There are blood tests that can be used to check for conditions that cause secondary hypertension.

Thallium is a chemical used during some stress tests to localize whaich parts of the heart need more blood or are dead. Heart cells that are alive take up the thallium and eventually excrete it, or "wash it out."

I hope these were the answers you were looking for. Please write back if you have further questions.

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