TOLL FREE:
1-866-611-2665
How your heart performs under stress is an important indicator of its health, and an exercise stress test is one way for your doctor to determine how well your heart functions.
As your body works harder, during exercise for example, it requires more oxygen which causes the heart to pump more blood and your heart rate and blood pressure to increase. During an exercise stress test, sometimes called a treadmill test, your electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, and blood pressure are monitored as you walk on a treadmill. By monitoring and recording these changes this test can indicate if parts of the heart have inadequate blood supply, which could indicate the presence of coronary artery disease. It can also evaluate your current fitness level.
There are two main types of stress testing performed at Mayfair Diagnostics. An exercise stress test and myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). An MPI is an exercise stress test that involves an injection of a radioactive isotope, which travels to the heart muscle. The radioactive material (radiopharmaceutical) is injected intravenously at rest and at stress (during exercise) and imaged with a gamma camera. For more information about this exam, read What is Myocardial Perfusion Imaging?
Please note that you will need to stop certain medications 48 hours before your exam and avoid caffeine 24 hours before your exam. You will also need to not take anything by mouth – no smoking/vaping or use of Nitro spray, and don’t eat/drink/chew gum or tobacco – for four hours before your exam. You will also need to wear comfortable clothes.
During an exercise stress test, a technologist and an internal medicine physician will be monitoring you. To begin, the physician will discuss your medical history and symptoms with you. Then, the technologist will place 10 electrodes (adhesive patches) on your chest – they are attached to the ECG, which charts your heart’s electrical activity during the test. The sites where the electrodes are placed will be cleaned with alcohol and shaved if necessary. A mild abrasive material may also be rubbed on the area prior to placing the electrodes. This helps ensure a good quality ECG recording.
Before you start exercising, the technologist will perform a resting ECG, measure your resting heart rate, and take your blood pressure. You will then be asked to begin walking slowly in place on the treadmill. The speed and incline of the treadmill is gradually increased during 5-15 minutes of exercise. The majority of the test occurs at a walking pace, with some light jogging.
At regular intervals, the technologist will ask you how you are feeling, particularly if you feel chest, arm, or jaw pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, dizzy, lightheaded, or if you have any other unusual symptoms. We will stop the test if you become too tired, experience chest pain, or when we have gathered enough information.
After the exercise portion is over, you will need to sit and relax. We will continue to monitor your ECG, heart rate, and blood pressure as they return to normal. You are then free to leave.
An exercise stress test will examine how well your heart responds to the stress of different levels of exercise. It is often ordered to help determine your baseline, as part of a general work up if you have atypical chest pain combined with high cholesterol and high blood pressure. It can also help gauge your fitness level or whether it’s safe to begin an exercise program.
An MPI, on the other hand, is often ordered to further investigate an abnormal resting ECG or exercise stress testing. It can also be recommended if you have a family history of heart disease, diabetes, previous angioplasty, stent, or heart attack.
Your results will be reviewed by the internal medicine physician and your health care practitioner will receive a comprehensive report within a few days of your exam. Your doctor will then be able to review your results with you, along with the results of any other tests, and determine the next steps in your health care treatment plan.
Exercise stress tests are generally safe for most people. To determine whether this exam is appropriate for you, you will need to discuss your symptoms and medical history with your health care practitioner, who would then provide you with a requisition for this procedure if recommended. Your requisition, and any lab work and resting ECG, are sent to Mayfair for triaging. Our cardiac team will then be in touch to coordinate booking and explain how to prepare for your exam.
Please visit the exercise stress test exam page, for more information about what happens during this exam and how to prepare.
American Heart Association (2015) “Exercise Stress Test.” www.heart.org. Accessed August 3, 2022.
Harvard Medical School (2020) “Cardiac exercise stress testing: What it can and cannot tell you.” Harvard Health Publishing. www.health.harvard.edu. Accessed August 3, 2022.
University of Ottawa Heart Institute (2022) “Treadmill Exercise Stress Test.” www.ottawaheart.ca. Accessed August 3, 2022.
Our Refresh newsletter delivers the latest medical news, expert insights, and practical tips straight to your inbox, empowering you with knowledge to enhance patient care and stay informed.
By subscribing to our newsletter you understand and accept that we may share your information with vendors or other third parties who perform services on our behalf. The personal information collected may be stored, processed, and transferred to a country or region outside of Quebec.
Please read our privacy policy for more details.
Our Refresh newsletter delivers the latest medical news, expert insights, and practical tips straight to your inbox, empowering you with knowledge to enhance patient care and stay informed.
By subscribing to our newsletter you understand and accept that we may share your information with vendors or other third parties who perform services on our behalf. The personal information collected may be stored, processed, and transferred to a country or region outside of Quebec.
Please read our privacy policy for more details.
We foster a supportive and collaborative culture designed to encourage positive patient experiences and build strong working relationships across the organization:
Our core values shape the way we work with patients, partners, and fellow employees. And, more than anything else, they’re what set Mayfair apart. In everything we do, this is what we strive for:
EXCELLENCE
We share a commitment to high quality and excellence in all that we do. This commitment calls on all of us to achieve the very best of our capabilities and exceed our own expectations.
CURIOSITY
We innovate in everything, from services to processes. We believe meaningful change and effective problem solving come only by looking at challenges and opportunities from new angles and by exercising our creativity and curiosity.
PASSION
We show pride, enthusiasm, and dedication in everything that we do. We are committed to producing and delivering high-quality results and services. We are passionate about our industry and about our company, services, partners, and patients.
COLLABORATION
Our team is supportive of each other’s efforts; we are loyal to one another; and we care for one another both personally and professionally. We promote and support a diverse, yet unified, team. We work together to meet our common goals across Mayfair clinics, locations, and geographies. Only through collaboration on ideas, technologies, and talents can we achieve our mission and vision.
SERVICE
We take pride in delivering exceptional service every day. We listen to every request with an open mind, always looking for opportunities to go above and beyond to create memorable, personalized experiences. We take responsibility to answer our referrers’ and patients’ requests and respect their time by always responding with a sense of urgency.
Start a career with Mayfair Diagnostics — one of Western Canada’s leading medical imaging teams.
Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, we’ve been helping people f ind clarity for their health for over 100 years. At our clinics in Calgary and area, Regina, and Saskatoon, our team of radiologists, technologists, and support staff work in a truly integrated way to provide exceptional experiences for our patients. Joining our team is more than a job. It’s an investment in your future — a plan for success.
OUR PEOPLE
Our people share our quest to make a difference in our patient’s lives. We’re a team of professionals, disciplined in our skills and compassionate with our patients, providing the care and attention they need. At our core, we are a trusted partner in our patients’ health care journey. Our patients, physicians, and other health care providers rely on us for quality imaging to help manage their patient’s health care decisions with certainty. But our business is about more than just imaging. It’s about building lasting relationships and making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we meet.
OUR VISION
A world in which every person has clarity about their health. We push the boundaries of what is possible and embrace change as an opportunity. We strive to be thought leaders and encourage creativity by providing a safe place for calculated risk taking. We learn from our mistakes. We share best practices across our operations and are recognized by our peers for our work. We engage the best to help propel us forward in achieving our goals.
