Are stress echo tests worth the cost?
On One Hand: Stress Test Worth It Only With SymptomsAn echo stress test, know as an echocardiogram, uses sound waves to produce images of your heart that can be analyzed for potential problems. This procedure is done if your physician identifies symptoms that are cause for concern, such as chest pain or palpitations, and may be done if you have a history of sensitivity to heat, explains Dubuque International Medicine. If these conditions do not exist and your doctor doesn’t recommend the test, then getting a stress echo will not be worth the cost.On the Other: You Can’t Put a Value on Your Heart Attack RiskIf your doctor recommends getting a stress echocardiogram, you should do it. The purpose of this test is to identify heart problems that occur only during physical activity. It is worth the cost to know if you are at risk for a heart attack while exercising. Also, this information allows you and your doctor to plan ways to prevent a heart attack from happening in the first place, and
