Nuclear stress tests can provide physicians with detailed information about at the heart’s structure and function. They can evaluate how well the heart is pumping blood as well as the presence of any damaged heart muscle. It also can detect blockages or narrowing of arteries due to coronary heart disease.

Nuclear imaging tests are considered safe with very few complications. In rare cases, patients may develop skin rashes from the radioactive tracer, large changes in blood pressure, difficulty breathing or arrhythmias. The amount of radiation exposure from the tracer does not pose a threat to patients.

In some cases, the test may yield a false positive result – indicating a heart defect when there is none present. This may be due to interference with the heart image from other non-heart tissues, such as breast tissue in women. If physicians suspect non-heart tissue is affecting the accuracy of the test, additional testing such as stress echocardiogram or cardiac catheterization may be recommended.