The average age of our population is increasing more and more, and with it the number of people with increased risk of being affected by heart disease. This also increases the need for examinations that affect the cardiovascular system. In this field of medicine, an important position is occupied by the stress ECG, in which an intensive examination of the stress capacity of the respective affected patient is carried out.
What is an exercise ECG?
The electrocardiogram (ECG) is the recording of the electrical impulses of the heart muscle fibers. Every movement of the heart is preceded by an electrical excitation. This can be measured and displayed graphically or digitally with the ECG. Here is an exercise ECG on an ergometer. The stress ECG is generally a process in which patients are tested in terms of their physical performance. Various ergometers are used, based on cross-sectional or longitudinal, step or endurance tests. These are procedures that are used to diagnose a person’s individual performance capacity. The documentation takes place in the context of a so-called performance diagnostics. During the execution of the stress ECG, the recording of the corresponding electrocardiogram takes place. The stress ECG generally includes the area in medicine, which is called ergometry. The meaning and function of a stress ECG can already be deduced from the term upon close examination. The word ergometry is composed of the Greek words ergon and metron, where the first can be translated as work and the second as scale.
Function, effect and goals
The diagnoses, which can be made by the stress ECG, cover a wide spectrum, whereby, in addition to statements about the patient’s performance, findings regarding blood pressure behavior under stress conditions can be derived. Furthermore, cardiac arrhythmias can be detected on the basis of the drawn electrocardiogram. The stress ECG is of particular importance in the field of preventive health care, as it is an effective preventive measure for the early detection of heart attack risks. At the same time, it is used for follow-up examinations of patients who have already suffered a heart attack. Other areas of application of the stress ECG include examinations in the context of other diseases such as pulmonary insufficiency and cardiac insufficiency, excessive increase in blood pressure, circulatory disorders and coronary heart disease. The importance of this examination procedure is generally based to a large extent on the fact that in a number of cases symptoms of such diseases only appear under stress and would therefore not be detectable by other methods. In general, the patient is always subjected to a load, which slowly increases. In most cases, a stationary bicycle is used, which is also called an ergometer. While the patient pedals at a certain speed, his electrocardiogram is written. In addition to checking the heart rhythm and pulse, the blood pressure is also measured. After the exercise phase on the ergometer is completed, the heart rate is checked again for several minutes to determine how long it takes to return to the initial state. The evaluation is then included in the assessment of the patient’s exercise capacity. Another field of application of the stress ECG is sports medicine, where it serves to determine the current performance level of the respective athlete and represents an important basic building block for the preparation or updating of the training plan. In addition to the bicycle ergometer, running ergometers and climbing stages are also used in the stress ECG in some countries.
Risks and dangers
With the stress ECG, as with many other medical methods, there are also certain risks. However, in this case, these reach a comparatively low level. First and foremost, it should be noted that in some cases the use of the stress ECG should be avoided. These include patients suffering from acute myocarditis and whose normal blood pressure exceeds a value of 200/120 mmHg. Furthermore, an exercise ECG is not performed in persons who are in acute danger of a heart attack.In general, however, it can be stated that the risk is not higher than the normal, average, statistical risk in cardiac patients. Only in rare cases are the incidents recorded so extreme that the use of a defibrillator becomes necessary. Thus, the benefits outweigh the dangers that may be associated with exercise ECG.
