[The ergometry stress test and its interpretation]

Despite the rising challenge of new, specialized diagnostic methods such as stress-echocardiography and stress-MRI, ergometry is still one of the most commonly used basic examinations of patients with or suspected of heart disease. A careful selection of these patients and an accurate test protocol can improve the validity of outcomes in those patients with coronary heart disease and set the right directions for subsequent examinations of those with cardiac arrhythmia. In the past few years some global parameters different from classical changes of the ST-segment, including the course of blood pressure and rate during ergometry, have been gaining attention and have shown some value in determining prognosis.