Performing the exercise stress test and ABPM on the same day did not affect ABPM blood pressure values, and the intensity reached during the test, whether submaximal or maximal, did not influence ABPM results.
Performing an exercise stress test and ABPM on the same day did not affect maximum systolic blood pressure values during wakefulness or sleep.
Performing an exercise stress test and ABPM on the same day did not affect maximum or minimum diastolic blood pressure values during wakefulness or sleep.
Performing an exercise stress test and ABPM on the same day did not affect minimum systolic blood pressure values during wakefulness or sleep.
The intensity of effort reached during the exercise stress test (submaximal versus maximal heart rate) did not influence ABPM systolic blood pressure values.
The intensity of effort reached during the exercise stress test (submaximal versus maximal heart rate) did not influence ABPM diastolic blood pressure values.
This research suggests that patients who need both a treadmill exercise stress test and a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor (ABPM) do not need to schedule these tests on separate days. The study followed 190 adults, comparing those who had both tests on the same day (145 people) versus on different days (45 people), and found no meaningful differences in any blood pressure measurements recorded by the ABPM — whether during waking hours or sleep. The study also examined whether pushing harder during the treadmill test (reaching a maximum versus submaximal heart rate) made any difference to subsequent ABPM readings. Again, no significant differences were found across all blood pressure measurements during either wakefulness or sleep, suggesting that even vigorous exercise on the treadmill does not distort the ABPM results. This research suggests that combining both tests into a single visit is clinically acceptable, which could have practical benefits for patients and healthcare systems by reducing the number of separate appointments needed. The findings may help simplify the diagnostic workup for patients being evaluated for cardiovascular conditions, saving time and potentially reducing costs.
Dourado P, Dourado L, Silva L, Oliveira J, Matos K, Dourado J, et al.. (2026). Treadmill Test and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring: Can They Be Performed on the Same Day? Can the Effort Reached on the Treadmill Interfere?. Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia. https://doi.org/10.36660/abc.20250412