A nuclear stress test measures blood flow to your heart, both at rest and during stress on the heart.
It is performed either as routine exercise on a treadmill or pharmacologically, and provides images through nuclear medicine imaging that can show areas of low blood flow in the heart and any areas of damaged heart muscle.
A nuclear stress test is used to show your physician how well your heart works during physical activity versus how well it works at rest. The test usually involves taking two sets of images of your heart — one set while you are at rest or lying on a table, and another set after you have exercised on a treadmill or stationary bike, or after medication that stresses your heart.
Artery disease
You may be given a nuclear stress test if your doctor suspects you have coronary artery disease or another heart problem, or if a regular office visit was not enough to pinpoint the cause of symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath. A nuclear stress test may also be recommended in order to guide your treatment if you have already been diagnosed with a heart condition.
Other nuclear medicine studies
- Cardiac stress test
- Hepatobiliary (HIDA) scans
- Bone scans and 3-phase bone scans
- Thyroid uptake and scans
- Gastric emptying studies
- Lung perfusion scans
- Parathyroid scans