How the test is carried out
The patient walks on a treadmill, the speed and inclination of which increase stepwise according to the standard protocol. The doctor continuously monitors the ECG, measures blood pressure and monitors your well-being. The test is stopped when the target heart rate is reached or signs of ischemia appear. The treadmill test is a key method for diagnosing angina: it shows at what load changes appear and helps decide the question of coronary angiography. It is carried out only in the presence of a doctor with a ready-made emergency kit.
What is functional diagnostics
Functional diagnostics evaluates not the structure of an organ, but its work: how the heart contracts, how a nerve impulse is conducted, how pressure changes during the day, how much air passes through the bronchi.
These methods complement ultrasound and tomography: structural studies show how the organ looks, and functional studies show how it copes with its task. Many rhythm disturbances, ischemia and epileptic activity are detected only here.
Basic methods
- ECG - basic recording of the electrical activity of the heart
- Holter monitoring - continuous ECG recording throughout the day
- ABPM - 24-hour blood pressure monitoring
- stress tests (treadmill test) - assessment of the heart during physical activity
- EEG - registration of bioelectrical activity of the brain
- spirometry - study of respiratory function
Why is a one-time entry not enough?
Many disorders are transient: arrhythmia occurs several times a day, ischemia occurs only during exercise, and pressure increases occur at night or at work. A regular ECG lasts tens of seconds and easily misses such episodes, so 24-hour monitoring or exercise tests are prescribed.