Stress test and blood clots in lungs

Submitted by Dr T on August 7, 2011 – 1:00am

No, it will not. A stress test is done to see whether your heart’s blood supply is sufficient, as well as how good your heart & heart valves function are. A blood clot to your lung (called pulmonary embolism, or PE) is very different, although it may also cause chest pain (like angina or a heart attack), shortness of breath, and/or a strain on your heart and can be very dangerous. Above all, a clot has to come from somewhere, usually a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or a blood clot inside your heart that is often associated with  a condition called atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias.

A stress test may lead to an investigation for PE (usually a CT- angiogram) and sometimes a variety of tests need to be done to confirm either Coronary Artery Disease or a PE. Treatment of course depends on making a final diagnosis.

You can check your risk for heart disease here:
https://www.cardiachealth.org/risks-benefits/cardiovascular-risk

Hope this helps,
Dr T
https://www.cardiachealth.org/