Treadmill stress test with monitoring

The treadmill stress test with full monitoring is a reference cardiology examination that assesses the response of the cardiovascular system to progressive, controlled physical exercise. Unlike a simple exercise ECG, this examination includes continuous multi-parameter monitoring comprising the 12-lead ECG, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and sometimes the measurement of gas exchange. This examination is fundamental for assessing the patient's functional capacity, expressed in METs (metabolic equivalents). This figure is a major prognostic indicator in cardiology, because poor exercise capacity is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The stress test also determines the ischemic threshold, that is, the level of exertion at which the heart begins to show signs of strain. Beyond the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, the stress test is used to assess chronotropic competence (the heart's ability to speed up normally during exercise), to detect exercise-induced rhythm disturbances, to measure the blood pressure response to exercise and to guide the prescription of a cardiac rehabilitation program. At the Clinique Pasteur in Tunis, stress tests are performed according to standardized international protocols with state-of-the-art monitoring equipment. A cardiologist is present throughout the examination, and full resuscitation equipment is immediately available.