What Happens If Your Stress Test Results Are Abnormal? 

Those with certain health conditions may need a stress test. While some individuals may see positive test results, others may receive abnormal or concerning findings. If you receive abnormal results from a stress test, it may be due to coronary artery blockages, a change in heart rate, hypertension, or other cardiovascular problems. Thankfully, there are multiple stress tests a person can take, offering a variety of imaging for doctors to analyze. 

Those taking part in a cardiac stress test may be asked to lie still, walk on a treadmill, and increase the treadmill pace to determine heart rate and detect an abnormal heart rhythm. In addition, the patient will be asked to lie under a gamma camera. During this process, detailed images of the heart muscle are taken, allowing professionals to examine them and help diagnose your condition, if any. If the stress test is abnormal, your doctor will likely want to make a follow-up appointment. 

The Stress Test Process 

If a patient receives an abnormal stress test result, it likely indicates a change in how the heart responds when it is forced to work harder. This is why walking or running on a treadmill is a crucial aspect of a stress test. By monitoring heart rate throughout the walk or run, doctors can see in real time whether the heart does not respond well to working harder and pumping more blood into veins and arteries.  

Abnormal stress test results do not necessarily mean you have a heart problem. Exercise testing remains a noninvasive option for determining prognosis. During a test, doctors screen for coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular conditions. 

Abnormal Stress Test Results

According to the National Library of Medicine, treadmill stress testing is a form of cardiovascular stress testing that typically uses electrocardiography and blood pressure monitoring during exercise, typically on a bicycle or treadmill.

A treadmill stress test can help doctors determine whether a patient has coronary artery disease. Additionally, treadmill testing can recognize:

• Valvular heart disease
• Heart failure
• Myocardial ischemia
• Coronary artery disease and its progression 
• Cardiomyopathy
• Acute chest pain
• Cardiac arrhythmias

Thankfully, a stress test helps doctors and patients understand cardiovascular health issues and provides solutions to any problems.

Reasons to Stop a Stress Test 

Individuals taking part in a stress test will be monitored by professionals throughout the entire process, noting heart rate and how well the heart handles walking, jogging, or running. Some tests may need to be abruptly stopped if any of the following occur:

• Moderate to severe angina
• The patient’s desire to stop
• Increasing chest pain
• Drop in blood pressure
• Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or ataxia
• Technical difficulties in monitoring blood pressure
• Sustained ventricular tachycardia
• Arrhythmias such as premature ventricular contractions
• Fatigue, wheezing, or shortness of breath
• Spike in blood pressure

Once testing has concluded, your doctor will review the results and guide you on how to relieve your symptoms, as well as provide information about treatment. 

Find Treatment Today

Apex Cardiology understands the importance of providing cardiology services for the community. Not only do we provide a full range of cardiac stress tests, but we also offer interventional procedures and cardiac imaging. Despite the many tests, we tailor treatment options to each individual, as every patient has unique needs. While we provide personal attention for all patients, we maintain professionalism to help you feel more comfortable.  

Contact us today to learn more about our Los Angeles cardiologists and physicians. Our doctors offer noninvasive methods to evaluate the heart and the arteries surrounding it. With computer software, cardiologists can examine the beating heart and receive information about the heart’s structure and whether there are any indications of coronary artery disease. Consider a consultation with one of our experts today.