However, you should continue taking all prescribed medications, unless your doctor specifies otherwise. Wear comfortable shoes and loose, lightweight shorts or slacks to the testing center. Men are usually bare-chested for the test and may need to have small areas of their chests shaved. Women may request to wear a loose fitting shirt during the test. These steps are necessary to make sure the electrodes can be Properly placed on the chest.
Electrodes are sensors that record the activity of the heart.
Blood pressure and pulse are also regularly checked during the test. A stress test usually takes thirty to forty-five minutes and can be performed in a doctor's office, clinic or hospital facility. It is done under close medical supervision, with the patient being monitored at all times. First an EKG will be done while the patient is resting and then while the patient walks on a motor-driven treadmill or pedals a stationary bicycle. During certain phases of the test, the difficulty of the exercise increases.