So you’ve discovered you may have coronary artery disease (CAD)? Here’s what it means: CAD happens when the major blood vessels that supply your heart with blood, nutrients, and oxygen become damaged. This could be from cholesterol deposits or plaque in your arteries, or from inflammation. Untreated, CAD sets the stage for significant risk of a heart attack.
Your doctor is likely to order a stress test. This pain-free assessment will evaluate how well your heart works when your heart rate is higher than when you are at rest. Traditional stress tests call for you to walk or jog, but no worries—we take good care of you. If there are reasons you cannot do the traditional test, your doctor can consider a medically induced stress test that elevates your heart rate while you’re lying or sitting still.
As with all medical procedures, some people are not good candidates for stress tests. Tell your doctor if you have unstable chest pain, uncontrolled heart failure, arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), acute blood clots, or if you have had a heart attack in the past two days.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about the stress test to assess the severity of your CAD.
In the meantime, watch this video on stress tests and see how easy it is.