Is A Stress Test Dangerous For Me If I Have Been Diagnosed With A Heart Rhythm Problem?

 

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Question: I have been diagnosed with a heart rhythm problem, is a stress test dangerous for me?

Answer :If the doctor recommends a stress test, they know what the underlying heart rhythm abnormality is. And a supervised stress test is probably one of the most safe activities you can ever do. A doctor puts you on a machine, there's a 12-lead that's put on, a blood pressure cuff is being used -- blood pressure is taken every minute and a half and the electrocardiogram is constantly monitored.

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So, of all the times you could ever exercise, exercise on a treadmill is probably absolutely the safest because you have constant supervision, and the risk of a stress test is really, really small in that setting.

So, I would say that if a doctor recommends a stress test, don't be concerned. In fact, occasionally we actually want to see whether or not stress will provoke the irregular heart beat, so there's a specific reason to do the stress test. But a stress test in the setting is not dangerous if it is properly monitored.