Nuclear Stress Test  

A nuclear stress test is a procedure used by Midwest Heart cardiologists to determine if a patient’s heart muscle is receiving adequate blood supply under stress and/or resting conditions. The nuclear stress test involves an injection, of a radiopharmaceutical agent, which circulates in the bloodstream. Pictures are taken by a gamma camera which shows the blood flow to the patient’s heart without having to look inside the body with a catheter. These pictures are taken both at rest and after the patient has completed a stress test. The "stress" test can either be a physical stress test (walking on a treadmill) or a pharmacologic stress test (a medicine is given to increase the heart rate and simulate exercise), if a limitation to walking exists, such as arthritis.