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Cardiac Fitness Tests

Cardiac fitness tests are usually performed under medical supervision before procedures that stress the heart, such as surgery, or to determine the health of the heart and the cardiovascular system. Some cardiac tests can be performed at home. These tests provide a general indication of how healthy you are by measuring cardiovascular, muscle and pulmonary health. Normal healthy adults do not need to schedule cardiac procedures, although monitoring your health by performing periodic at-home exercises is recommended.

  1. Electrocardiogram Tests

    • Electrocardiogram (ECG) tests are performed to find out if your heart is beating normally and to be sure it is not damaged or under abnormal stress. When ECG tests are done in conjunction with blood pressure monitoring, doctors have an even better idea of the health of your heart. Cardiograms are useful for measuring and monitoring heart health after a heart attack, for those people who suffer from high cholesterol and for those people with enlarged hearts. Although not painful or physically taxing, cardiogram tests should only be conducted under medical supervision.

    Echo-cardiogram Tests

    • Echo-cardiogram tests are performed for reasons similar to those for cardiogram tests: high blood pressure, history of heart attacks or high cholesterol and enlarged hearts. Because the echo-cardiogram provides your doctor with an image of the inside of your heart, this type of test can be used to detect less obvious heart issues such as heart murmurs, heart valve health and the possibility of a future heart attack. Depending on the quality and subtlety of the images your doctor hopes to produce, she will either place a probe on your chest or insert one into your throat. You may experience mild discomfort but the tests are essentially painless.

    Cardiac Stress Tests

    • Cardiac stress tests are often administered by doctors who have reason to worry about the cardiac health of people with diseases such as diabetes, who are significantly overweight or who have extremely sedentary lifestyles. Cardiac stress tests are used to determine the target heart rates for exercise programs. Target heart rates indicate the heart is pumping oxygen-rich blood to muscles without causing undue stress to the muscles, lungs or brain. Cardiac stress tests are only to be carried out under medical supervision.

    Home Cardiac Fitness Test

    • Developed by Canadian cardiologists, the Home Cardiac Fitness Test allows participants to identify themselves as belonging to one of three categories of health: undesirable, minimum and recommended. When designing the test, the scientists included subjects ranging in age from 15 to 74; therefore, the results and subsequent classifications are realistic and accurate. The test consists of a series of stepping sequences that increase in speed and is designed to test cardiac performance and oxygen consumption. More information about the test can be found in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

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