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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Treadmill vs Medicinal Stress Test
Answered by
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Treadmill vs Medicinal Stress Test
by dozerscritch, Sep 11, 2000 12:00AM
I will be having a stress test soon and I have some questions regarding the procedure/difference in tests.
My husband's aunt recently had a stress test that did not involve her walking on a treadmill (she has bad hips so is not able to do this). This test took 2 days to complete -- the first day she was injected with some type of radioactive stuff and some pictures of her vein and arteries were taken. The next day she went back and had another injection - this time it was some medication that increased her heart rate without exercise.
Here are my questions:
1) Which test is more accurate -- the treadmill kind or the kind that my husband's aunt had?
2) Which test is safer -- has less complications?
3) I have asthma and was wondering how that may affect the outcome of either of these tests. My asthma is pretty well controlled (this time of year is the worst for me, though).
4) I am currently taking Premarin .625 daily; Prilosec 20 mg daily; Lanoxin .125 mg every other day and I have a Proventil inhaler for my asthma that I use only when needed. How might any or all of these medications affect the outcome of the test/s? Should I stop taking any of them for any amount of time prior to the testing?
Thank you for your input and also thank you for this forum. It has been a real help.
My husband's aunt recently had a stress test that did not involve her walking on a treadmill (she has bad hips so is not able to do this). This test took 2 days to complete -- the first day she was injected with some type of radioactive stuff and some pictures of her vein and arteries were taken. The next day she went back and had another injection - this time it was some medication that increased her heart rate without exercise.
Here are my questions:
1) Which test is more accurate -- the treadmill kind or the kind that my husband's aunt had?
2) Which test is safer -- has less complications?
3) I have asthma and was wondering how that may affect the outcome of either of these tests. My asthma is pretty well controlled (this time of year is the worst for me, though).
4) I am currently taking Premarin .625 daily; Prilosec 20 mg daily; Lanoxin .125 mg every other day and I have a Proventil inhaler for my asthma that I use only when needed. How might any or all of these medications affect the outcome of the test/s? Should I stop taking any of them for any amount of time prior to the testing?
Thank you for your input and also thank you for this forum. It has been a real help.
Doctor's Answer
by Cleveland Clinic, MD, Sep 11, 2000 12:00AM
, Sep 11, 2000 12:00AM
1) Which test is more accurate -- the treadmill kind or the kind that my husband's aunt had?
A: It depends on what you are looking at. If the treadmill test does not include nuclear imaging then the kind your aunt had (persantine thallium) is more accurate for detecting ischemia (poor blood flow). If the treadmill test includes nuclear images then there is no difference as long as target heart rate is achieved. However, the treadmill test gives additional information concerning functional status, heart rate and blood pressure response and heart rate recovery that the persantine thallium does not. In general for someone who can walk on a treadmill we prefer to use this type of stress test.
2) Which test is safer -- has less complications?
A: Again it depends. If you cannot walk on a treadmill then the persantine is certainly safer. Asthma is actually a relative contraindication to the persantine thallium test because it can provoke an attack.
3) I have asthma and was wondering how that may affect the outcome of either of these tests. My asthma is pretty
well controlled (this time of year is the worst for me, though).
A: It shouldn't affect the treadmill test unless you have exercise induced asthma. The persantine has a risk of provoking an attack and is thus a relative contraindication for your case.
4) I am currently taking Premarin .625 daily; Prilosec 20 mg daily; Lanoxin .125 mg every other day and I have a
Proventil inhaler for my asthma that I use only when needed. How might any or all of these medications affect the
outcome of the test/s? Should I stop taking any of them for any amount of time prior to the testing?
A: We usually advise our patients to stop their digoxin (Lanoxin) if possible for 10 days prior to the test. This increases the senstivity of the test. You can ask your doctor what he/she would advise for you.
A: It depends on what you are looking at. If the treadmill test does not include nuclear imaging then the kind your aunt had (persantine thallium) is more accurate for detecting ischemia (poor blood flow). If the treadmill test includes nuclear images then there is no difference as long as target heart rate is achieved. However, the treadmill test gives additional information concerning functional status, heart rate and blood pressure response and heart rate recovery that the persantine thallium does not. In general for someone who can walk on a treadmill we prefer to use this type of stress test.
2) Which test is safer -- has less complications?
A: Again it depends. If you cannot walk on a treadmill then the persantine is certainly safer. Asthma is actually a relative contraindication to the persantine thallium test because it can provoke an attack.
3) I have asthma and was wondering how that may affect the outcome of either of these tests. My asthma is pretty
well controlled (this time of year is the worst for me, though).
A: It shouldn't affect the treadmill test unless you have exercise induced asthma. The persantine has a risk of provoking an attack and is thus a relative contraindication for your case.
4) I am currently taking Premarin .625 daily; Prilosec 20 mg daily; Lanoxin .125 mg every other day and I have a
Proventil inhaler for my asthma that I use only when needed. How might any or all of these medications affect the
outcome of the test/s? Should I stop taking any of them for any amount of time prior to the testing?
A: We usually advise our patients to stop their digoxin (Lanoxin) if possible for 10 days prior to the test. This increases the senstivity of the test. You can ask your doctor what he/she would advise for you.
