Blood pressure during exercise ECG

In addition to cardiac activity, blood pressure also plays an important role in assessing cardiac performance. Thus, during the performance of a stress ECG, the blood pressure is checked at regular intervals. Even before the examination, the blood pressure should be measured.

If the blood pressure is very high, there is even a contraindication for carrying out a stress ECG. Too high blood pressure is one of the most common diseases in Germany. High blood pressure can cause great damage to the heart in the long term.

If high blood pressure has existed for many years, changes can also become apparent during the exercise ECG. In the long term, the vessels supplying the heart are damaged and the heart is deprived of oxygen, especially during exercise. This also leads to a pathological enlargement of the left heart. The diagnosis of a so-called stress hypertension can also be made with the help of a stress ECG. This is high blood pressure, which occurs only with moderate or severe stress.

Costs of the exercise ECG

Usually, a stress ECG is performed as part of the diagnostic check-ups as well as in cases of suspected heart disease. In these cases, insured persons do not have to pay anything, as the health insurance company covers the costs of the examination. However, a certain age must be reached in the context of the preventive medical checkups so that the examination without previous symptoms is covered by the health insurance company.

This is 45 years for men and 55 years for women. The performance of a stress ECG can also be useful for other reasons. Sports medical examinations, for example, often include the performance of an exercise ECG.

It depends on the individual health insurance company whether the costs of the examination are covered. Often, sports medical examinations of this kind are only partially covered or not covered at all, which is why the health insurance company should be contacted beforehand. A stress ECG, if the health insurance does not cover the costs of the examination, usually costs between 60 and 100€.

Evaluation of the exercise ECG

The evaluation of the stress ECG usually follows directly after the examination and often takes place during the examination. During the examination, care is taken to ensure that the electrodes do not slip even during physical activity, thus making the evaluation impossible. Likewise, sudden changes in the heart or blood pressure should be kept in mind so that the examination can be stopped in time.

During the actual evaluation of the so-called ECG strip, attention is paid to irregularities in the heartbeat as well as to recording the electrical activity of an individual heartbeat. If no abnormal changes can be seen at rest or during exercise, a serious heart disease is unlikely. If there is a lack of oxygen to the heart, changes may be seen in the recording, especially under stress. This is because the heart needs a lot of oxygen, especially under stress. Certain heart diseases reduce the oxygen supply to the heart and this leads to abnormal activity which is recorded in the ECG.