Clinical Applications of Exercise Stress Echocardiography
Clinical Applications of Exercise Stress Echocardiography
The low cost, safety, diagnostic accuracy, possibility of evaluation of functional capacity and lack of radiation should make exercise stress echocardiography a first line procedure for patients with suspected or confirmed coronary artery disease. The possibility of evaluation of Doppler data during and after exercise, including in orthostatic position if appropriate, with the extraordinary amount of information that can be obtained, makes its use imperative in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in athletes, in syndrome X patients, in patients with pulmonary hypertension and in patients with valve disease.
Conclusions
The low cost, safety, diagnostic accuracy, possibility of evaluation of functional capacity and lack of radiation should make exercise stress echocardiography a first line procedure for patients with suspected or confirmed coronary artery disease. The possibility of evaluation of Doppler data during and after exercise, including in orthostatic position if appropriate, with the extraordinary amount of information that can be obtained, makes its use imperative in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in athletes, in syndrome X patients, in patients with pulmonary hypertension and in patients with valve disease.