Procedure of
the consultation
Step 1
Medical interview
First, the treatment team consisting of a nurse and a doctor will ask you about your current state of health, medication, risk factors, heart disease and risk factors in your family. If it is necessary from the doctor’s point of view, he/she will suggest that you have a blood sample taken and an ECG.
Step 2
Physical examination
The treatment team will then examine you, determine your blood pressure as well as your height and weight.
Step 3
Heart ultrasound
A heart ultrasound is a routine examination to diagnose heart disease. With ultrasound the heart muscle, the heart valves and the vessels near the heart can be assessed in real time. The ultrasound machine’s transducer, along with a contact gel, is placed on the chest wall and gently moved back and forth to produce optimal images of the heart from different directions. The duplex sonography method is used so that the blood flow in the heart can be shown with the different flow directions.
The heart ultrasound is completely risk-free and complication-free, causes no pain and takes 30-45 minutes.
Schritt 4
Cardiovascular stress test (spiroergometry)
Spiroergometry is an examination in which patients sit on a bicycle and have to pedal against a steadily increasing resistance. Heart rate and blood pressure are recorded simultaneously, while a tight-fitting mask over the mouth and nose is used to determine lung function and the concentration of respiratory gases in the air breathed.
During the entire examination, the patient is observed by a doctor. Due to the constant monitoring of the circulatory functions, spiroergometry is a very safe procedure. The examination is stopped at the first signs of complications or exhaustion.
It is recommended to wear loose clothing and sports shoes during this examination. The duration of the examination is approximately 45 minutes.
Step 5
The voluntary study part
At the end of the examinations, a person from the study team will record general information about your state of health with you. Participation is of course voluntary and free of charge. Your blood pressure, hip and waist circumference will be measured, and a short one-minute fitness test will be carried out.
Finally, we will ask you if you are interested in completing an online questionnaire about quality of life, exercise behaviour, fatigue and diet. The questionnaires will be sent to you by email and the time required to complete them is about 20 minutes.