Recent Blog Articles
Improving access to hearing aids
Can mindfulness change your brain?
Five lifestyle factors that can help prevent gastroesophageal reflux disease
Transient ischemic attacks: Varied symptoms, all important
5 inflammation-fighting food swaps
Is IBD an underrecognized health problem in minority groups?
Sickle cell disease in newborns and children: What families should know and do
COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens: What we do — and don’t — know
Happy trails: Take a hike, now
Sleep well — and reduce your risk of dementia and death
Ask the doctor: Do I need a thallium stress test every year?
Ask the doctor
Do I need a thallium stress test every year?
Q. Ever since my bypass operation in 1996, my cardiologist has me take a thallium stress test every year. I haven't had any heart-related trouble since the bypass, and the test results are always fine. I'm worried that the radiation from these tests is going to give me some kind of radiation-related cancer. What does this test tell my cardiologist? Do I really need it?
A. The danger from the minuscule amount of radiation involved in a thallium stress test isn't something you should worry about. No one has ever demonstrated that nuclear cardiology tests increase the risk for cancer, so the danger is trivial, if it exists at all. That's the good news. The bad news is that the need for you to have this test every year is probably equally nonexistent.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.