An Exercise Stress Echocardiogram (SEC) combines an ultrasound study of your heart and an exercise stress test in order to determine how your heart muscle responds to stress. You will be asked to walk on a treadmill as in a regular stress test. Before and after the test, harmless sound waves are bounced off your heart and converted into two-dimensional images of the heart and its internal structures.

How do I prepare?

• No food or drink four (4) hours prior to your scheduled test.
• Avoid anything with caffeine in it such as coffee, tea, or carbonated beverages for 12 hours prior to your test.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing and shoes that allow jogging (sneakers recommended).
• Take your usual medications with a small sip of water unless otherwise instructed by your doctor.
• Bring a list of your current medications with dosages to the test.
• If you are a diabetic, ask your doctor how much medication you should take the morning of the test.
• No smoking the day of the test.

Why do I need it?
This test is done to help to evaluate heart function and to determine if there are areas of diminished blood flow to the heart muscle or blockages in the coronary artery. An SEC may be done to diagnose conditions such as coronary artery disease or to determine the cause of symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or light-headedness. It may be used to check the effectiveness of cardiac procedures or predict the future risk of a heart-related condition such as heart attack.

What are the risks?
There are no known risks from an echocardiogram. The risks of a stress test are no more than if you walked fast or jogged up a hill. Medical professionals are on hand in case anything unusual happens during the test.

What can I expect during the test?

• A resting echocardiogram will be done when you first arrive.
• You will be asked to walk on a treadmill. (The treadmill starts slowly and then increases in speed and incline.)
• The test will be stopped if you reach your target heart rate, are too tired to continue, or if significant EKG, blood pressure, or heart rhythm changes occur.
• If you have any chest discomfort, dizziness, or shortness of breath, let the technologist know immediately.
• After the exercise portion of the test, another echocardiogram will be done.
• The doctor will then compare the two echocardiograms and assess the heart’s response to exercise.
• Expect to be at the hospital for approximately 90 minutes.

How do I find out the results?
You may receive preliminary results at the time of the test. A final interpretation will be given to your doctor who will talk to you about the findings.