Ergometry (load test) with functional capacity assessment and coronary flow reserve analysis

Exercise electrocardiogram treadmill heart test is an examination that represents a "gold standard" in terms of detecting heart problems during physical activity.

With this test we can diagnose blood pressure elevation, ineffective blood pressure treatment, some arrhythmias and, most importantly, coronary heart disease, ie. atherosclerotic narrowing on the coronary blood vessels that supply the heart with blood, oxygen and other nutrients for the heart muscle. If this supply is sufficient while resting and is insufficient in physical activity, this method is the best way to diagnose coronary heart disease while it is still latent.

Walking on the treadmill is done by “The Bruce protocol”, which is standardized for the whole world, allowing that with only one data physician can define how much stress did the patient's heart capable to endure. The Bruce protocol means that the treadmill accelerates and slightly changes the slope every 3 minutes, and there are exactly prepared tables as to how much a patient considering his age and gender should walk and how much should the maximum pulse be.

For the test it is recommended to wear comfortable cotton clothes and comfortable shoes to walk as comfortable as possible, as well as to know that the patient will be pretty exhausted and sweaty, all in purpose that the examination shows all that we are looking for.

After the test, a 6-minute rest period follows, and if the heart is healthy and the finding is regular, the patient’s heart rate and blood pressure values return to the ones measured before the examination, and if necessary, the rest period is extended until the values return to normal.