First and foremost, a stress test can measure how much strain your heart can take. If the arteries to your heart are clogged with fatty plaque -- a condition called coronary heart disease -- your heart will struggle to keep up during your workout. Your blood pressure may drop, and your ECG will probably show irregular patterns. You may also feel extremely tired and short of breath.While the stress test correctly identifies roughly 75 percent of all people with coronary heart disease, people in the early stages usually sail through the exam without a hint of trouble. In general, the test works if the arteries are already more than halfway clogged. So if the stress test shows that your arteries are blocked, watch out: Unless you and your doctor take action, it is likely that a heart attack is on the way.Newer research has demonstrated that stress tests can also aid doctors in determining the likelihood of coronary heart disease even for those without signs of it. In 2005, doctors from Johns Hopkins reported in a study, published in the journal Circulation, that 90 percent of those who died from coronary heart disease and had no early signs of the illness, scored below average 10 to 20 years earlier on stress tests. The research teams analysis showed that study participants who scored below average were two to four times more likely to die from coronary heart disease. More than 6,000 men and women participated in the study from 1972 to 1995.Doctors may also prescribe light exercise tests if someone has already had a heart attack or has been diagnosed with heart disease. The exercise is often done in a supervised medical setting, and the results can help doctors devise a safe exercise program. The test may also be used to tell whether a patient is responding to treatment, or how well a pacemaker is working.
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