exercise ECG testing

Last reviewed 01/2018

This is use for the diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease, assessment of exercise tolerance, response to treatment, and as a prognostic indicator. The use of exercise testing ECGs is also useful in testing for, and assessing, exercise-related arrhythmias.

There is a 1 in 10,000 mortality in exercise tests.

NICE suggest that an exercise ECG should only be used as a diagnostic test in patients with known coronary artery disease (CAD) with new onset possible cardiac chest pain:

• do not use exercise ECG to diagnose or exclude stable angina for people without known CAD (1)

Reference:

• 1) NICE (March 2010). Chest pain of recent onset.