Exercise Treadmill Test

Purpose of the Test

This test helps diagnose heart disease, monitors blood pressure response to exercise and finds out your exercise tolerance.

Patient Instructions

Diet

• Do not eat anything 4 hours before the test.
• Do not have caffeine 12 hours before the test.
• If you have diabetes and take insulin, ask your primary care doctor about your diet before the test.

Medicine

• Take prescribed medicine unless told not to by your doctor.
• Do not take erectile dysfunction (ED) medicines 48 hours before the test.

Clothing

• Wear shorts, comfortable slacks or sweatpants.
• Do not wear panty hose.
• Wear tennis shoes or comfortable walking shoes.

Smoking

• Do not smoke the morning of the test.

The Test

• We will ask you to sign a consent form giving us the go-ahead to do the test.
• We will prepare the skin on your chest where the electrodes will be placed with a coarse lotion. We may have to shave some hair from the chests of male patients. Doing so ensures the electrodes make good contact with the chest to accurately monitor your heart’s rhythm.
• You will then walk on the treadmill. An exercise physiologist will watch the monitor for any changes that may suggest heart disease or rhythm problems.
• We will check your blood pressure often during the test.
• The test will take about 30 minutes.