What does an abnormal stress test mean?

Your stress test was abnormal. With an imaging stress test, we take images of your heart before and after it has been stressed: either by walking on a treadmill or by using medication that simulates exercise.

These images provide an overall view or silhouette of the heart rather than detailed pictures. Under normal circumstances, the images taken before and after stress should look the same. If there is a defect or difference on the image after stress, it may indicate that there is a blocked coronary artery supplying that area of the heart.

No test is perfect. Stress tests are designed to be highly sensitive because we would rather identify someone who may have a blockage than miss someone who actually does. As a result, there can be false-positive results.

Overall, imaging stress tests are considered to be reliable. If your stress test is abnormal, we usually recommend additional testing to determine whether a blockage is present.