What is a stress test like?

[Rosemary349]

Hi everyone

I have told my doctor that i want a battery of tests run on me because of what happened to my father last week.  The doctor asked me what type of test i wanted!  I don't know!  Maybe you can advise?

He's arranged for me to have a stress test.  What am i to expect with that?  Are there any dangers with that test?

I really just want a set of tests that will measure whether there is any heart disease or heart problems (i've had an irregular heartbeat although that seems to have resolved by about 95% since my thyroxine medication has increased).

Thanks for any advice you can give.  The doctor said he wouldn't recommend an angiogram because it can be dangerous.......thoughts?

[Rosemary349]

Oh they saw a few ectopic beats on my stress test but said that ectopics are normal and that they can come on during exercise ......or go away during exercise and come on at rest.....

I'm not convinced

[Rosemary349]

I've no doubt it all comes down to cost.....

but people should be educated on how important it is and then maybe they would invest in that sort of testing themselves.

Dad didn't know.  No one told him.  and there will be many other's like him.

Sorry, guess i'm still grieving!

Thanks everyone once again for your advice - i'm keeping hold of it for now

[Rosemary349]

I was told i passed the stress test and they had no concerns.

I'm beginning to get a bit fed up with people though, the doctor was like 'why are you here?' and he was asking it in a way like he thought i needn't have been there.  I hate the monopoly that doctors have on medical information, they don't share everything with you and if you question too much then you have an 'anxiety disorder' or something.

There are plenty of intelligent people in the world who could handle medical knowledge even if they haven't been to medical school!

and i'm amazed that here in England there aren't routine tests for people for heart disease considering it's the biggest killer in our country.  They check women for cervical cancer.....but there isn't any routine testing or invitations for it for heart problems.  My father never went to the doctor's but had he been invited for a routine check that other men his age got he would have gone along.

[ed34]

My Cardiologist told me that bare metal stents are a nuisance. Scarred tissue grows quicker than normal tissue to try and repair a vessel asap, and bare metal stents dont prevent this. DES were manufactured with a chemical coating to inhibit scar tissue growth. This allows the slower growing normal tissue time to form over the stent, providing a much smoother surface along the inner lining. Bare metal stents are much cheaper and are still used when felt they can get away with them. Plavix along with aspirin simply stop platelet activity against the stent, preventing a thrombus. Restenosis
involving fats/plaque can form on any stent, DES or bare metal which is why people have their blood pressure controlled through medication and why cholesterol is lowered.

[Rosemary349]

Hi everyone

Thanks for your posts on this thread.  I am reading every post but it's been a bit technical so i haven't responded.....be sure i'm taking it all in though.  It's just difficult at the moment with everything that's happened.....my father's funeral was yesterday.

I am really, really grateful for all the advice given here and all the different information.  I have my stress test tomorrow and i will ask about the availability of other tests.

Thanks again, it's really appreciated

[kenkeith]

QUOTE: "I have a question on the 128 slice ct scan i asked my cardio dr if i could get one and he said since i already have stents there is no reason for one. is this true or should i get another opinion. and would it show anything that they havent seen on other tests. im curious thx"

I may have misinterpretated your question.  Your doctor may have thought you were asking to have a ct scan to look for any occlusions, and his response was there is no reason to have a scan as the stents have taken care of your occlusions...and that is a correct decision for you at this time.  But if you have a major heart event, a ct scan can within minutes determine the underlying cause with minutes that used to take hours and sometimes days.

With the ct scan 156 slice requires one to be able to hold their breath for about 30 seconds and also the heart rate should be below 60 bpm.  But the new 256 slice doesn't have those strict requirments.  It can measure subtle changes in blood flow or minute blockages forming in blood vessels no bigger than the average width of a toothpick (1.5 millimeters) in the heart and brain.

Johns Hopkins cardiologist João Lima, M.D., who will lead all cardiovascular testing, says the 256 slice scanner’s strength means it can find the earliest signs of restricted blood flow, long before symptoms appear (helpful for individuals with family history but no occlusions) or an organ becomes permanently damaged.  My doctor's hospital has the new 256 slice scanner so I have been given related information.