Stress Test May Miss Some Heart Disease Treadmill Tests May Not
Catch All Who Have Significant Atherosclerosis Aug. 17, 2004 --
Using only a stress tests to screen for heart disease may not
catch many people who have atherosclerosis, or hardening of the
arteries, and are at risk for heart attack or stroke. A new
study suggests that additional testing using computer imaging
that looks for calcium deposits on the arteries of the heart may
be necessary to determine the level of risk in people with
suspected heart disease. Calcium deposits may indicate
atherosclerosis. Researchers found 56% of people who had normal
results on their stress tests had calcium scores that put them
at increased risk for heart disease, and 31% had scores that
placed them at highest risk for heart "Our findings demonstrate
that a relatively high number of patients who had normal
readings on their stress tests had a calcium score of greater
than 100, a score that is accepted as implying the need for
aggressive medical treatment," says re