Expert: Todd Bublitz, RCEP - 10/7/2007

Question
is there a way i could do a ballpark stress test at my home or in my neighborhood by walking a certain distance in a certain time going up a hill, climbing steps etc.that would  give me a some what idea of my heart health. i am 58 yrs. old if that helps,also two knee replacements so i can't run, but i found i can walk quite fast. if you can help me in this i would appreciate it. thank you

Answer
Randall,

There is really no way to do a "home stress test" to determine your heart health. A true stress test relies on the EKG readings taken during the test. Without an EKG there is no accurate way to determine if you have heart disease.

What you can do at home is to review your risk factors for heart disease. This is a quick and easy way to determine your heart risk. You can go to this website to asses your risk:
http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/atpiii/calculator.asp?usertype=prof

You can do a home "fitness" test to asses your fitness level. You have to know that a person can be "fit" but still have significant heart disease. Also, a person can be very unfit but have clean coronary arteries.  The home test is called a Three Minute Step Test.  You can get information on how to do the test and interpret the results at this website:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Aerobic_Fitness_Test_The_Step_Method.htm

Any further testing for your heart will have to be done under the supervision of a qualified physician.

Todd