Definition - What does Treadmill Test mean?
A treadmill test is a clinical evaluation tool used to assess a person's cardiovascular strength. The treadmill test requires a person to engage in exercise such as walking on a treadmill while their heart rate and blood pressure are monitored. Treadmill tests are used to place physical stress on the heart through exertion. This additional burden sometimes reveals heart abnormalities or conditions that are not detected when a person's heart is monitored while at rest.
A treadmill test is also known as a treadmill stress test, exercise stress test, or simply a stress test.
SureHire explains Treadmill Test
The treadmill test is one of several methods used by health care professionals to assist them in the diagnosis heart disease. A treadmill test may be ordered when a person has symptoms of heart disease or to assess the person's current heart health. A treadmill test may also be used to assess whether or not a person's cardiac treatment plan is effective.
The treadmill and other stress tests work by testing the heart's limits. When exercising, the body increases blood flow through the arteries and to its muscles. If a blockage is present in one of the arteries, blood flow will be uneven. By subjecting a patient to an exercise stress test, such as the treadmill test, this uneven blood flow may be detected. During a treadmill stress test, the test subject's heart will be monitored using an EKG. The stress of exercise may trigger abnormalities to show up in the results of the EKG. Additionally, an individual with a heart condition may experience physical symptoms while exercising that are not present when he or she is at rest.
