However, some cardiac pathologies come to light only when the heart is under stress. For such conditions, a stress ECG or stress echocardiogram can be performed by allowing the patient to exercise on a treadmill. Then it is compared with the baseline findings. Even if the patient cannot walk on a treadmill, you can do a dobutamine stress echocardiogram(DSE). This is because intravenous administration of dobutamine mimics the effects of exercise on the heart. Therefore, stress tests are more accurate in diagnosing the heart's underlying blockages.