Positive exercise treadmill test or t.m.t.test

by m.d.shandilya
(sagarmadhyapradeshindia)

I am 75 years old and suffering from high blood pressure for the last 2 years. I have been taking NUSAR-A.M.(Amlodipine), but for the last 2-3 months I am finding a problem in walking and other activities. When I had an exercise treadmill test or T.M.T it came out to be positive. The local doctor has prescribed a number of medicines and at the same time he has advised me to go through an angiogram and angioplasty, but I want to get well through medicines and without going through any surgery. So please suggest the best way to get well as soon as possible please.

Positive exercise treadmill test or TMT test

An exercise treadmill test or T M T test is a probability test for heart disease. It doesnt tell you anything about the severity of your heart disease, only the probability of having a significant cardiac event i.e. heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI) in the next 12 months. This is determined by the degree of exercise you did, symptoms during the test and ECG findings.
You have a two definite cardiac risk factors being both male and also having high blood pressure or hypertension. I presume your doctor has probably started you on drugs to prevent further problems, what we call secondary prevention. The main ones would be Aspirin, a statin to lower your cholesterol and possibly a beta-blocker drug too. There are other drugs that can be used such as nitrates, calcium antagonists such as your NUSAR-A.M, ACEI drugs and Nicorandil, a potassium channel opener.

If your exercise treadmill test or T M T was positive, I would advise you to have an angiogram. Although perceived as surgery, it is in fact a very common cardiac investigation and involves passing a needle into your skin and then into the artery (usually either the femoral in the leg or sometimes the brachial artery in the arm). A plastic catheter is then passed through this into the artery and then up through the aortic arch to the aortic valve area using xray guidance. Contrast dye is then passed into the openings of the left and right coronary arteries. Any blockages in the arteries, what we call stenosis, can then be seen using the xray guidance. Depending on the degree of disease, your cardiologist will then advise either medical treatment, an angioplasty (where a balloon is inflated to squash open the artery) or a stent is inserted (a tube that keeps the artery open), or coronary artery bypass surgery recommended. Most people are scared of having this done, but it really is a very safe and straightforward test. In my country they are done awake with only local anaesthetic to numb the skin. The only feeling you will then have is a feeling of wanting to pass urine and maybe a hot flush when the contrast dye is injected.

Good luck.