So…here comes the first annual nag…I urge you to talk to your Doctor about getting a treadmill stress test as a preventive health measure even if you think you're fine.
Thanks for the reminder ryck. I had my stress test five months ago around my birthday. It is a good idea for any of us beyond "a certain age" or who are not in good physical training or condition.
Do the new drug-induced-stress tests yield less accurate results in some/all circumstances?
Stressing the heart carries the same risks, and the results are generally comparable, whether the stress is induced by physical exertion or medication. Drug induced stress testing is usually reserved for those persons who are unable to exercise because of medical conditions such as COPD and physical injury or incapacitation.
There are variants based on specialized imaging that your doctor may or may not choose to have performed such as nuclear imaging to check the blood flow through the heart itself, before and after stress. But in the end, and in spite of the risk, there is no substitute for a stress test to determine heart health before an attack occurs.
After an attack, blood enzymes can confirm an attack has taken place, but that is of course after the fact and far too late to take any preventative measures. There have been claims that full body radiological scans may be able to detect pre-cursor conditions for a heart attack but here the operative word is
may. Full-body scans are notorious for false positives and in the case of a potential heart problem the condition would still have to be confirmed by a stress test. So instead of dodging a bullet, you are spending a lot more money for an inconclusive procedure. (My son is a Radiologist and chooses not do full body scans for that reason as well as his belief that much exposure to radiation is unwise unless there is an overriding reason.)
