Medical Testing - Heartbeat

Heartbeat is proud to have two highly skilled Cardiac Physiologists overseeing and carrying out all our medical testing.

Debbie Crossley has been a valued member of the team since 1990, bringing decades of experience and expertise. In 2017, we welcomed Jo Duff, who works alongside Debbie to deliver a range of essential assessments, including treadmill and lung function tests, as well as blood pressure monitoring.

Cardiac Physiologists

Debbie Crossley and Jo Duff

Our Physiologists also carry out a series of other diagnostic tests that are offered by Heartbeat, that include:

Resting ECG’s
24 hour Blood Pressure monitoring
Spirometry Testing
Exercise Treadmill testing
ECG Screening

Before you start your Programme

Each patient is assessed by Heartbeat prior to taking part in any of our exercise programmes. The assessment takes the form of a treadmill test, the aim of which is to determine your tolerance to exercise to ensure your safety and give you the reassurance to take part in an exercise programme.

If your circumstances allow we ask for a donation of £25 per month toward the running cost of the Programme. Alternatively, why not become a Heartbeat Volunteer.

Your Tests Explained

Who monitors the test?Louise Bache2022-02-07T11:35:34+00:00

Who monitors the test?

A GP and cardiac physiologist undertake your test, they will explain the results and answer any questions you may have.

How long does the test last for?Louise Bache2022-02-07T11:39:49+00:00

How long does the test last for?

You should allow approximately 45 minutes for your initial assessment appointment. The duration of the treadmill test is variable and whilst we encourage patients to complete as much of the test as possible, patients typically manage between 2 and 9 minutes on average. Patients will not be asked to complete any more than they are comfortable with.

How long before the test should I eat or drink?Louise Bache2022-02-07T11:40:47+00:00

How long before the test should I eat or drink?

You should have a light meal approximately 1 hour before your treadmill test. It is also important to have had a drink of water prior to exercise.

Should I take my medication before the test?Louise Bache2022-02-07T11:45:41+00:00

Should I take my medication before the test?

You should take all your medication as normal prior to your treadmill test with Heartbeat unless you have specifically been asked not to.

When will I receive the results?Louise Bache2022-02-07T11:46:33+00:00

When will I receive the results?

Once your initial assessment has been completed, one of the medical team will speak to you about the results. A letter will also be sent to your GP.

What should I bring to my treadmill test?Louise Bache2022-02-07T11:47:08+00:00

What should I bring to my treadmill test?

Your reading glasses
A list of current medication
Suitable clothing that is comfortable and does not restrict your movement
A towel and toiletries in case you would like a shower

What happens after my test?Louise Bache2022-02-07T11:47:58+00:00

What happens after my test?

You will meet our Patient support officer who will take you through the next steps which include:

The welcome pack which explains our programme and what you can expect
Arrangement of an Induction onto the gym equipment with an instructor
Agreement of a suitable class and time

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

An electrocardiogram, or ECG, records the electrical activity of your heart.

Small sticky patches called ‘electrodes’ are put on your chest, and sometimes your arms and legs. These are connected, by wires, to an ECG recording machine. The recording machine picks up the electrical activity in your heart and interprets it into graphs which are printed onto paper.

The whole test takes about five minutes.

An ECG can detect problems called arrhythmias. These are abnormal heart rhythms where the heart beats too slowly, too fast or irregularly. Or, if you get sudden symptoms such as chest pain, an ECG can help doctors to diagnose if you are having a heart attack.

An ECG can often show if a person has had a heart attack days, weeks or even years ago. It can also show if your heart might be enlarged, or if the heart wall might have become thicker because there has been too much strain on it.

The ECG is a simple and useful test, but it has some limitations. An abnormal reading does not necessarily mean that there’s something wrong with your heart.

Some people may have a normal ECG recording even though they do have a known heart condition. This is why you may need to have one or more other tests as well as the ECG.

Exercise ECG (ETT)

This test is also known as an exercise stress test or an exercise tolerance test.

An exercise ECG is an electrocardiogram (ECG) that is recorded while you are walking on a treadmill or cycling on an exercise bike. The idea of this test is to see how your heart works whilst you are moving about or exercising when your heart has to work harder. The heart needs more blood and oxygen when you are active. An exercise ECG can show if your heart muscle is receiving enough blood.

Several small sticky patches (electrodes) are put on your chest. These are connected, by wires, to an ECG machine to record all the electrical activity of your heart, in the same way as for the ECG described above. You will then be asked to exercise, either by walking on a treadmill or cycling on an exercise bike. The test starts off at a very easy rate and is gradually made harder. Your ECG reading, blood

pressure and pulse will be monitored throughout the test. The test will be stopped when certain targets have been reached. The test would also be stopped if you started to get symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, tiredness, blood pressure that is too high or too low, or an abnormal heart rhythm. Or if you felt you could not carry on with the test.

You will then be monitored for a period of recovery following the test.

The exercise test usually lasts between approximately 2 minutes and 15 minutes. It can be hard work, but should not be too much for you. Like many people, you may be pleasantly surprised by how much you can achieve. The value of the test is much greater if you try to work as hard as you can.

The test can help doctors find out if you have coronary heart disease. If, during the test, there are certain changes in the ECG pattern, or if you develop symptoms such as chest pain or chest tightness, or if there are abnormal changes in your blood pressure or heart rate, this may mean that there is narrowing of the coronary arteries and that you may need further tests.

If you already know you have coronary heart disease, an exercise ECG gives information about how severe your condition might be. For example, it can give some idea of how much strain your narrowed coronary arteries are under when you exercise. This can help your doctors to assess if your condition has got worse, and help them plan the best treatment for you.

An exercise ECG also helps doctors to see how well your heart is working if you have recently had heart surgery, coronary angioplasty / Stent, or a heart attack and can help doctors decide what level of exercise you should do as part of a cardiac rehabilitation programme.

This test can also be used if you have been collapsing or having blackouts, particularly if this happens while you are being active or exercising.

If you have coronary heart disease, an exercise ECG can show ‘ischaemic changes’ during exercise. This means that the test is showing that there is a reduced supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. If you get chest pain and there are ischaemic changes on the ECG recording at the same time, this could mean that the chest pain is coming from your heart.

The exercise ECG test may show changes that suggest coronary heart disease, even though the person has very few or no symptoms.

An exercise ECG is a very useful test. It is widely available and it’s a very safe test compared to many other medical tests. Most people find that the test is not unpleasant or distressing.

Cardio pulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET or CPEx)

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is now the “gold standard” objective tool for evaluating cardiopulmonary function and fitness. CPEx testing is a non-invasive simultaneous measurement of the cardiovascular and respiratory system during exercise to assess your exercise capacity.

It is similar to the Exercise ECG but your breathing is also monitored while you walk on the treadmill or cycle on the bike we measure how much air you breathe, how much oxygen you need and how fast and efficiently your heart beats while you exercise.

Spirometry

This is the most common of the Lung function tests which look at how well your lungs work. It can help to diagnose various lung conditions, most commonly Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) but can also be used to monitor the severity of other lung conditions and their response to treatment e.g. Asthma, Pulmonary Fibrosis and Cystic Fibrosis.