Practice guidance for stress echocardiography

Stress echocardiography has been one of the most promising methods for the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and pulmonary hypertension. The Japanese Society of Echocardiography produced practical guidance for the implementation of stress echocardiography in 2018. At that time, stress echocardiography was not yet widely disseminated in Japan; therefore, the 2018 practical guidance for the implementation of stress echocardiography included a report on stress echocardiography and a specific protocol to promote its use at many institutions in Japan in the future. And now, an era of renewed interest and enthusiasm surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of valvular heart disease and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has come, which are driven by emerging trans-catheter procedures and new recommended guideline-directed medical therapy. Based on the continued evidence of stress echocardiography, the new practical guideline that describes the safe and effective methodology of stress echocardiography is now created by the Guideline Development Committee of the Japanese Society of Echocardiography and is designed to expand the use of stress echocardiography for valvular heart disease and HFpEF, as well as ischemic heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and pulmonary hypertension. The readers are encouraged to perform stress echocardiography which will enhance the diagnosis and management of these patients.