Things One Should know About Treadmill Test

by Aisha Kapoor Medical Laboratory Professional

TMT test is the abbreviation for a treadmill test, which is also known as a cardiac stress test or exercise test. This test is done to determine how far the heart of a person can bear pressure before reaching an abnormal rhythm. It mainly helps doctors in understanding the capacity of the heart to receive and utilise oxygen and blood when it is under maximal stress. To conduct this test, the patient is asked to walk or run on a treadmill. Once the patient starts walking on a treadmill, the doctor gradually keeps increasing its level. During this entire process, ECG, heart rate, and blood pressure of the patient are tracked to assess the heart’s health. No hospitalization is required to conduct this test. Its cost can range from INR 2500 to INR 3000.

Generally, this test is conducted to detect heart diseases or problems. There are various private and government health care units where this test is done using various advanced technologies by an experienced team of doctors. If you are someone suffering from heart related issues and your doctor has asked you to take a TMT test, here are some of the things that you should know before stepping on the treadmill-

Empty stomach: This test is always conducted on an empty stomach. Therefore, on the day your doctor has scheduled a TMT test for you, don’t eat anything before the test. This is an important thing to remember because with an empty stomach you can run on a treadmill more comfortably and for longer. Try to keep at least four to six hours of fast before going for this test.

Know which pills to avoid: If you are already on medication, then you should ask your doctor if you should take those medicines before having the TMT test or not. You should get this cleared with your doctor as there are many medicines which may slow down your heart rate or affect your blood pressure.

Avoid caffeine: It is strongly advised that one doesn’t take caffeine for 24 hours before going for a TMT test as it a stimulant. Caffeine raises blood pressure and heart rate, which increases the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat. To avoid such problems, one should not consume drink coffee, tea, any decaffeinated beverage, or chocolate before this test. One should also avoid medicines that contain caffeine.

Wear comfortable clothes: During this test, one needs to run on a treadmill. Therefore, one should wear comfortable clothes. Also, one should wear a comfortable pair of shoes so that she/he can run easily on the treadmill.

Types of TMT test

Depending upon the condition and need of every individual patient, different types of stress tests are conducted. Following are the major types of stress tests generally conducted to detect heart related diseases:

Exercise stress test: During this test, the doctor monitors the blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and energy level during different levels of physical activity. During this stress test, an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) test is also performed.

Stress test without exercise: To perform this test, the doctor may use medication to trigger the same process. This is done for patients who cannot do any kind of exercise due to physical or any other disability.

Exercise stress echocardiogram test: To carry out an exercise stress echocardiogram test, an image of the heart − both before and after physical exertion − is obtained. A transducer is used for emitting a high-frequency sound wave to produce an image of the heart.