Why It Is Done

An exercise electrocardiogram is done to:

• Help find the cause of unexplained chest pain.
• Help decide on the best treatment for a person with angina.
• See how well people who have had a heart attack or heart surgery are able to tolerate exercise.
• Help find the cause of symptoms that occur during exercise or activity, such as dizziness, fainting, or rapid, irregular heartbeats (palpitations).
• Check for a blockage or narrowing of an artery after a medical procedure, such as angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery, especially if the person has chest pain or other symptoms.
• See how well medicine or other treatment for chest pain or an irregular heartbeat is working.
• Help you make decisions about starting an exercise program if you have been inactive for a number of years and have an increased chance of having heart disease.

Experts disagree about the use of an exercise EKG to test people who do not have symptoms of heart disease.

• Some experts think that anyone older than age 35 who is generally inactive should have an exercise test to screen for "silent" heart disease before starting a vigorous exercise program.
• Because heart disease is rare in younger people who do not have symptoms, an exercise EKG may not be accurate. A falsely abnormal result (false-positive) may cause needless worry and further unnecessary testing.
• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that exercise testing should not be done routinely for people who have a low risk of a heart attack or stroke.