Stress test heart failure patients
Common Questions and Answers about Stress test heart failure patients
stress-test
There are doctors forums where you can ask an expert your question. If you go to the top where it says forums pick Doctors Forums. This forum is generally attended by patients only. You should also probably seek out a doctor in your area to go see to be evaluated in person. That said, palpitations don't necessarily mean anything. the heart has to be evaluated to know exactly what it is you are feeling and if what you are feeling is dangerous to your heart.
An Echo Stress Test or a Nuclear Stress Test, if the doctor is suspecting coronary artery disease. However, a regular stress may be sufficient in stable patients or those with a low suspicion of coronary artery disease who are being assessed for exercise tolerance (for example, prior to undergoing a structured exercise or rehab program). If you are/were experiencing chest pains an EKG Stress test is not reliable and probably should have had a Nuclear Stress Test.
A normal BNP level is about 98% accurate in ruling out heart failure. And, in general, the higher the level, the worse the heart failure. Falling BNP levels indicate that treatment is working.
Cardiologists are also exploring the role of BNP in coronary artery disease. Although measuring BNP to help diagnose and treat this form of heart disease is still experimental, scientists have found that BNP levels rise during treadmill stress tests in patients with coronary disease.
Digoxin is a commonly prescribed medication for patients with heart failure, afib/flutter or fast heart rhythms. Doxazosin can be prescribed alone, or in combination with other medications to treat high blood pressure.
Furosemide is a diuretic, used to treat fluid retention as a result of heart failure.
Warfarin is used to prevent blood clots, and is often prescribed for patients with afib (though it is also used for other reasons).
This is a simple way of classifying the extent of heart failure. It puts patients into four categories based on how much they are limited during physical activity. These limitations/symptoms are in regards to normal breathing and varying degrees in shortness of breath and/or angina pain.
Class III is defined as:
Marked limitation in activity due to symptoms, even during less-than-ordinary activity, e.g. walking short distances (20–100 m). Comfortable only at rest.
An echo looks at the structure and function of the heart, whereas the stress test was looking for blockages causing your symptoms. Having a leaky valve can predispose to certain abnormal heart rhythms which may have caused your palpitations, weak heart muscle (AKA heart failure) can cause leg swelling and shortness of breath -- neither of these things are detectable with a treadmill stress test unless there was an echo done at the same time.
In contrast, heart failure and a reduced EF has been termed systolic heart failure. Patients with diastolic heart failure are more commonly women, elderly, and affected with hypertension. The incidence of diastolic heart failure is increasing, and such patients may now make up the majority of patients admitted with heart failure.
He was hospitalized for a week and he was under cardiac surviellance for a week under which he went through ECG, Echocardiogram, Angiogram, and Stress Thallium Test (after 15 days of discharge from Hospital). His stress thallium states as follows:
Patient is a case of CAD, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus with ischaemic cardiomyopathy. Recent CAG shows 70% mid and distal LAD stenosis, 50%om2, and 60-70% RCA lesion. Stress MPI scan is being done to evaluate for reversible ischaemia.
It has also been proven that putting an ICD (defibrillator) and/or pacemaker into patients with an EF of 35% or less with a wide QRS on EKG (which is reflective of damaged electrical conduction in the heart and is permanent after things like a heart attack) reduces mortality in patients with systolic heart failure compared to those who do not get those therapies. The physiology behind that is two fold: 1.
I had a tread mill stress test and a nuclear stress test. Briefly, the results were: 1) reached 100% target heart rate, no chest pains, no arrhythmia 2) LVEF is 56% 3) moderate size inferior ischemia 4) ECG is positive for ischemia at a good workload (143 heart rate).
I have formed a preliminary impression from my research on the Internet, but would appreciate feedback on the above 4 items. I havel scheduled a heart catherterization.
Thank you.
test with myocardial perfusion imaging revealed mild to moderate ischemia involving the basal anterior septum and mid anterior septal walls. He is status post recent (4/7/08) four-vessel bypass graft with a LIMA to the LAD.
My husband has been labeled a walking piece of plaque by his cardiologist.
With his open-heart surgery being so recent, with him being diabetic, and he has never had any symptoms of his illness - should this recent test be looked into further by your opinion?
Less probability of any heart attack, but the insufficient blood/oxygen flow over a period of time can damage heart cells and then heart failure. Angina is a warning that the heart is not receiving enough blood/oxygen. If medication relieves angina that indicates almost always the coronary vessels are dilated sufficiently enough to prevent any heart damage. If medication does not relieve the angina, then a stent to prevent heart cell damage.
The risk during a nuclear stress test is extremely small for a heart attack, etc. or any adverse effect. To ensure your full safety, this test will be performed in laboratories that are fully equipped and very carefully and professionally monitor of the patients during the test and this will assure the detection and treat any abnormal conditions that may develop during the course of testing.
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