Q: I have recently undergone a stress test for the complaint of palpitations. The doctor said my test was positive. I was wondering if this could be a “false positive” reading.

A: The sensitivity and specificity of any test depends on how many risk factors a person has and what kind of symptoms that person is having. For example, a 50-year-old man without risk factors and without symptoms has a 5% chance of an abnormal test being a false positive one. A Cardiologist usually determines your individual situation and if the risk factors are minimal, a different kind of test ( ie.: stress echocardiogram) can be obtained. If the risk factors are significant a heart catheterization may be recommended.