Heart nuclear stress test and treadmill

[txjeff]

I'm scratching my head on this one.  I have two artificial hips and yet doctors keep pressing me, when I do a stress test, to run on a treadmill.  (Age 55). Those are impact exercises - bad for fake hips.  The last time I did this I had to yell "STOP THE TEST NOW!" to get them to shut it off.  They wouldn't listen when I said it normally.  Did they think I was kidding?  So now it's a year after I had a Stent put in to fix two blockages with one Stent.  And now doc wants to do a nuclear stress test.  I called the nurse to see if they couldn't do a chemical test.  The nurse was wishy washy about it and stuck it on me to decide.  Does it really matter if it's done chemically or by treadmill?  But my big question is WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO BE A TREADMILL?  I typically exercise with an orbital exerciser at a gym and it's great, no impact and my heart rate gets up plenty high.  So why does it have to be an impact treadmill?   What's the difference?

[tiggercat513]

the main role of the exercise or chemical part of the test is to get your heart rate up so that they can see how your heart responds to the stress. I always go the chemical route because of bone spurs in my heel. If you go for the chemical test be aware that it can be problematic for someone with asthma. best of luck

[kenkeith]

Your welcome.  For what it is worth, the proper protocol is to discontinue the test when the patient cannot continue (shouldn't require shouting a couple of times) or monitoring equipment indicates an abnormality.  Take care.

[txjeff]

Thanks for the reply.Ken.  I think you misunderstand an 'orbital' exercise device though.  It is not a "rowing" device.  it is a machine much like a treadmill, but it has big pedals like a bicycle.  One example would be like this:
http://www.boscovs.com/wcsstore/boscovs/images/store/product/images/333067987e41002.jpg
Another would be a recumbant bicycle like I have.  It has a seat with a back and pedals like a bicycle.  The seat distance from the pedals slides back and forth to accommodate a person's height.  http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/productImages/4/0/00000100540-TrueFitnessZ5RecumbentExerciseBike-large.jpeg

Either of these has adjustable programs that can be preset to increase friction to make your heart rate go up.  And there is zero impact.

The last time I had the treadmill, they had it up to jogging speed for minutes after already going at a walking pace for 5 minutes.  That was just too much for my hips.
But getting these please to change is like passing a bill in congress.  (eyes rolling).

So I agree.  I plan to insist on the chemical test this time.  Thanks again.

[kenkeith]

Some people may not have the capablity required for the muscular exertion of rowing, the treadmill might be a better start for beginners and people that lack upper body strength. Almost everyone has some abiltiy to walk....I never got to the running phase of the test.  After walking 7 minutes the incline and the pace (wasn't very fast as I remember) of walking required, the test was terminated due to abnormal ekg. To complete the test takes about 15 minutes.

  A compromise may be a bicycle stress test or chemical.

[txjeff]

Well, the nuclear stress test IS with a treadmill.  They hook up the IV and put you on the treadmill and inject the isotopes when your heart rate gets to a certain point.  So again it's why don't they use an orbital machine to help people with artificial joints or other?   Treadmill seems like the primitive way of doing it.  I appreciate the comment about the chemical test.  I guess it's less risk on them if you do a treadmill versus the small risk of the chemical test.  ??

[alleycat2]

Personally I really have no fait in the tredmill test. The real way to see your heart is the nuclear test. I passed the treadmill enerything was fine after the nuclear test they found I had had a heart attack. The chemical test is the same as the tredmill.