Taking a Stress Test ( Diabetes )
Is your heart healthy? A stress test can help you find out. An exercise stress test provides a controlled environment for observing what happens to your heart as it demands more and more oxygen. It may be used to develop a cardiac rehabilitation program if you’ve had a heart attack, or as a tool for diagnosing and evaluating heart disease. It can also tell you your maximum heart rate, which is useful in determining your target heart rate during exercise.
If you take a stress test, you may be asked to exercise on a treadmill or stationary bike. Your blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG), and heart rate are monitored throughout the test, which usually lasts less than 30 minutes. You may also be asked to report symptoms such as fatigue, chest pain, or shortness of breath to provide a more complete picture of how well your heart functions.
The results can give you a lot of insight into your health. For example, An ECG can provide evidence of damage to the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscles. Chances in blood pressure can also provide important clues about your heart health. Talk to your doctor. He or she can help you decide whether a stress test is right for you.
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