subject: What Is A Stress Test And Why They Are Used [print this page] What Is A Stress Test And Why They Are Used
Doctors need to discover how much stress the heart is able to manage before it is impacted by this disease. The exercise test is the one that is most widely recognized though it has a specific application it is better suited for. Doctors perform such tests on patients because they wish to discover whether blood flow has been diminished. This way they can identify whether or not there is a restriction somewhere in the arteries or heart, because this is the reason for diminished blood flow.
When a nuclear test is conducted, the patient can be either resting or exercising. Since exercise causes stress to the body, the heart and the complete cardiovascular system, the test is referred to as a stress test. Another very common group of tests falls under the general description of nuclear stress test. This type of test can be applied with various radioactive isotopes. The purpose of a nuclear test is to envision a healthy heart muscle that works properly. The different areas of the heart will absorb the isotope and thus become more illuminated in an image. The net result of that will be to indicate which areas of the heart are not receiving adequate blood supply. That in turn provides clues as to the origins of blockage that is restricting blood flow.
There is a reliability factor involved with the isotope stress test, and the degree of reliability depends on several key factors. For example, the image must be sufficiently clear and a particular heart rate reached. If these important factors are satisfied, then this type of stress test can offer a reliable diagnosis in approximately 85% of coronary artery disease cases. Considering that there are other variables that play a role in the accuracy of this test, 100% infallibility cannot be achieved. An accurate diagnosis can also be affected by many other problems including false positives.
Each type of cardiac stress test has its advantages and particular purpose. They serve the purpose of helping doctors to get the right diagnosis. Keep in mind that there are various conditions for every test that could possible affect each of the results and diagnosis.
