Nuclear Stress Test

A nuclear stress test combines two diagnostic techniques — a stress test and nuclear imaging — to reveal problems with your heart.

The test begins with nuclear imaging showing heart activity at rest. Then you undergo a stress test to raise your heart rate. After finishing the stress test, your provider takes a second image while your heart rate is elevated.

Comparing the before and after images shows the changes in blood flow and how well your heart functions when it’s forced to pump more blood to your body. 

When would I need a nuclear stress test?

Your Lorven Heart and Vascular Institute, LLC, provider may recommend a nuclear stress test if you have symptoms of a heart problem like chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or other signs of a heart problem. They often use the test to diagnose:

• Coronary artery disease
• Arrhythmias
• Heart failure
• Valvular disease
• Cardiomyopathy

Your provider may also use a nuclear stress test to evaluate the results of a heart procedure or see how well your current treatment is working.

What should I expect during a nuclear stress test?

For the first step, your provider takes an image of your heart at rest. They inject a radioactive dye (radiotracer) through an intravenous line. As blood circulates through your heart, specialized equipment picks up energy released by the radiotracer and translates it into images.

This type of nuclear imaging shows the heart’s pumping action, blood flow through the arteries and heart muscles, and whether any of the muscles are damaged.

For the next step, you have a stress test. Most people do an exercise stress test. If you can’t tolerate exercise, you can have a pharmacological stress test, which is done with a medicine that temporarily raises your heart rate.

During an exercise stress test, you walk on a treadmill while your electrocardiogram (EKG) and blood pressure are monitored. Your exercise begins at a slow pace, and your provider gradually increases the treadmill’s speed.

When you reach a target heart rate or have symptoms, the stress test is finished. Your provider immediately injects another dose of the radiotracer and takes images of your heart as it’s working at its peak rate.

Call Lorven Heart and Vascular Institute, LLC, today, or request an appointment online if you have symptoms like chest pain or difficulty breathing, or if you have questions about nuclear stress testing.