Treadmill Test (TMT) or Stress test or Exercise testing is done to see how your heart functions while exercising on a treadmill or exercise bike. During the test, the patient’s heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG), and how you feel are monitored.
On many occasions, an ECG taken while resting when oxygen and blood requirement of heart is minimal, it may not reveal any abnormality even if there are blockages. During exercise, the heart has to pump more blood. This increase in stress on the heart may reveal heart problems that go unnoticed when the body is resting. The exercise stress test is not the absolute in diagnostics; it is a superior initial and noninvasive coronary test.
The exercise stress test shows the doctors how well your heart handles the increased stress brought on by exercise. It confirms a diagnosis of coronary heart disease or angina, detects low levels of blood supply to the heart, predict risk of future heart problems, and decide what treatments are needed.