Dr Cindy Govender offers cardiac consultations at her practice for concerns such as chest pain, palpitations and symptoms of heart failure. Part of a cardiac workup involves an ECG which will assess the heart rate, rythmn and evidence of any ischemia (impaired blood flow to the coronary arteries), and a stress ECG, which requires the patient to exercise on the treadmill whilst Dr Govender analyzes the electrical activity of the heart to determine if there are any abnormalities either with the rythmn or the blood flow around the heart. Once a diagnosis has been established it will be treated or the patient will be referred to a Cardiologist if interventions such as a coronary angiogram is needed.

The exercise stress test should always be performed by a Specialist Physician, Cardiologist or a trained cardiac technician.  There are certain contra-indications to performing this test and hence you need to have a formal consultation with the doctor before she puts you on the treadmill to perform the test.

It is a very helpful, non-invasive means of determining if a patient has coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is a condition where the arteries that deliver blood to the heart muscle are narrowed or completely blocked. Coronary artery disease is the 3^rd leading cause of death worldwide and hence it is absolutely important to identify and treat.

Patients most at risk of developing coronary artery disease are those with Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Hyperlipidemias, Obesity and smokers. Of interest is that anxiety and stress disorders have also been found to predispose to coronary artery disease. Furthermore the risk of coronary artery disease naturally increases with age and post menopause in women.