Cardiac Stress Testing in Singapore
Dr Eric Hong
MB BCh (Ireland), MRCP (United Kingdom), FAMS (Cardiology), DIP (CBNC, USA), FSCAI (SCAI, USA), FACC (ACC, USA), FESC (European Society of Cardiology, France), FRCP (Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
A cardiac stress test is an exercise-based diagnostic method that observes how the heart responds to
physical activities. It also determines your risk of having coronary heart disease, and measures how
much stress your heart can handle when subjected to increased stress before experiencing the onset
of symptoms like decreased blood flow and arrhythmia.
Doctors normally recommend cardiac stress testing for patients who exhibit symptoms of heart
disease. If you’ve already been diagnosed with a heart condition, the test is used to assess the
effectiveness of your current treatment plans. Fitness-wise, the test helps cardiologists come up
with an exercise regimen that is safe and suitable for your specific case.
Types of Stress Testing
There are three main types of stress tests, which are:
Standard Exercise Stress Test
This involves walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike at increasing levels of intensity as the test progresses. An ECG machine measures and records your heart’s electrical activity (rhythms) through electrode patches (placed on the chest, arms and legs) both while exercising and at rest. At the same time, a cuff is attached to the arm to measure blood pressure. You may also be requested to breathe into a special mouthpiece to better monitor your breathing.
Stress Echocardiography
This also involves exercising on a treadmill or stationary bike, but instead of using an ECG machine, it uses soundwaves to capture detailed images of the heart while exercising and at rest. Stress echocardiography provides an accurate visualization of the heart’s chambers and valves, allowing the doctor to determine if there are damages or areas of poor blood flow in the heart.
Pharmacologic Stress Test
For patients who have decreased functional ability and hence are unable to participate in
the exercises, pharmacologic stress tests are a good alternative. Here, a special drug is
injected to increase the flow of blood to the heart, thus mimicking the stress experienced
when exercising.
Blood pressure and heart rate can then be further examined with either an echocardiogram or
radionuclide image testing.
Cardiac Stress Testing
Specialist: Dr Eric Hong
Specialist: Dr Eric Hong
MB BCh (Ireland), MRCP (United Kingdom), FAMS (Cardiology), DIP (CBNC, USA), FSCAI (SCAI, USA), FACC (ACC, USA), FESC (European Society of Cardiology, France), FRCP (Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
Dr Eric Hong Cho Tek is a Singapore-based cardiologist with extensive training in both interventional and imaging-based cardiac care. He completed two ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, USA) Clinical Fellowships in Interventional Cardiology and Non-Invasive Cardiac Imaging. His clinical expertise covers cardiac CT angiography, PET/SPECT imaging, and nuclear cardiology, enabling him to offer well-rounded assessments and treatment options. Dr Hong’s areas of interest include interventional cardiology (femoral and radial access), sports cardiology, cardiac rehabilitation, and advanced cardiac imaging.