Heart rate rise before stress test may be bad sign

May 20, 2009 A new study finds an excessive increase in heart rate prior to engaging in a stress test identifies people who are at increased risk of dying suddenly later in life.

Doctors reporting in the European Heart Journal say these findings may carry significant implications. They say taking a patient's pulse may be a simple way to identify people who may be at increased risk of sudden heart attack.

Sudden death from a heart attack is a major public health problem with up to 400,000 deaths reported each year in the U.S. alone.