Exercise stress echocardiography: Where are we now?

Abstract

Exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) is a widely used diagnostic test in cardiology departments. ESE is mainly used to study patients with coronary artery disease; however, it has increasingly been used in other clinical scenarios including valve pathology, congenital heart disease, hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies, athlete evaluations, diastolic function evaluation, and pulmonary circulation study. In our laboratories, we use an established methodology in which cardiac function is evaluated while exercising on a treadmill. After completing the exercise regimen, patients remain in a standing position or lie down on the left lateral decubitus, depending on the clinical questions to be answered for further evaluation. This method increases the quality and quantity of information obtained. Here, we present the various methods of exercise stress echocardiography and our experience in many clinical arenas in detail. We also present alternatives to ESE that may be used and their advantages and disadvantages. We review recent advances in ESE and future directions for this established method in the study of cardiac patients and underline the advantage of using a diagnostic tool that is radiation-free.

A Tale of Three Chambers: Cor Triatriatum Sinistrum

“… 9 Exercise stress echocardiography can also be useful to determine the functional severity of the membrane. 10 …”

Complications of exercise and pharmacologic stress echocardiography

“…Exercise-based stress testing is the modality of choice if a patient is able to exercise (American Society of Echocardiography Class I Recommendation, Level of Evidence A) (3). With exercise, functional status can be gauged, cardiac electromechanical response is preserved, and symptoms, or lack thereof, can be linked with activity (3,8). The normal physiologic response to exercise involves an increase in full body oxygen demand, though primarily from working muscles, with a subsequent increase in cardiac output.…”

Investigation of Mutant Cardiac Myosin-Binding Protein C gene (MYBPC3) & Potential Cardiomyopathy Risks Among Indian Athletes

“…The athletes performed cardiac stress test as per the standard Bruce protocol on a BPL Dynatrac Neo treadmill (BPL Medical Technologies, Bangalore, India). Exercise ECG and Echocardiography examination was performed as described by Cotrim et al (27).…”