Exercise tolerance test (ETT)

An exercise tolerance test (ETT), sometimes referred to as a treadmill stress test, is a test that measures how your heart performs, while your walk or run – it records how your heart functions while under stress.

During this test, our nurse will first perform a resting ECG, which is a test designed to assess the electrical activity of your heart, while at complete rest. The nurse will have you lie on the bed, place electrode patches to your chest area, and attach a portable devide (12-lead ECG machine) to the patches.

Once the resting ECG part of the test is complete, your will then be asked to get on to the treadmill to start the exercise portion.

First, you will start by walking, with the treadmill increasing in both speed and incline, every few minutes. In some cases, you might run during the test.

The team will monitor your heart rate and blood pressure very closely throughout the test and will stop the test immediately if you show any symptoms of feeling unwell, dizziness, or chest pain. They may also elect to stop the test based on the data interpretation displayed from the test, should they think it necessary.

An ETT may be recommended when:

• The cardiologist specifically wants to assess how your heart is working while under stress
• To detect problems such as block arteries or arrythmia’s, that only show up when your heart is under stress/pressure to work harder
• As a pre-operative assessment

The cardiologist will review all the data and will send a full report to your referring doctor.