Non-ischaemic cardiac conditions: role of stress echocardiography

Stress echocardiography (SE) has a unique ability for simultaneous assessment of both functional class and exercise-related haemodynamic changes and as such is increasingly recognised for the evaluation of non-coronary artery disease pathologies. Some indications such as valvular heart disease or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy have been well established already, while others such as diastolic exercise testing are emerging of late. This paper addresses the main and best established indications for SE in non-ischaemic conditions, providing a practical perspective correlated with updated guidelines.