Why exercise stress tests are better than a drug-induced imaging study

Cardiac stress test ECG tracings.

An exercise stress test is carried out to look for heart disease – and it involves exercising. Is there any other way to gather information about heart disease?

Yes, there is another way to conduct a heart stress test that doesn’t involve exercise. Several drugs can be safely used to mimic the effects of exercise or stress on the heart. This is known as a pharmacological stress imaging study.