Question: After my annual physical, my doctor said he wanted to send me for a Cardiolyte stress test “just to be sure we didn’t miss anything.” But I don’t have any signs of heart disease (I’m 51), my cholesterol is not high, my blood pressure is normal and I’m not overweight. What do you think?

Dr. Hibberd's answer:

Get another doctor. This kind of knee-jerk decision making generates complications and deaths from unnecessary over-treatment and excessive procedure costs and risks.

You have no major risk factors, no family history of heart disease, you do not smoke — all who which provide you with a healthy-heart profile.

Unless you have some other condition, such as diabetes that puts you at greater risk for heart disease, you shouldn’t need a stress test.

We use Cardiolyte stress evaluations for those with abnormal EKGs. A Cardiolyte stress test is not a screening tool for general use “just in case! "