Stress Test Equipment Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis By Technology (Wired and Wireless) By Product (Bench-top, Trolley-mounted, and Wearable Devices), By End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Diagnostic Centers, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2025-2032

Stress test equipment measures the ability of the heart to respond to external stress in a controlled, clinical environment. Stress tests enable the healthcare provider or physician to identify anomalies such as insufficient oxygen supply to the heart, and abnormal blood flow in stressful conditions. These tests are often performed using specialized exercise equipment such as a bicycle, treadmill, or ergometer. An Electrocardiogram (ECG) machine is attached to the patient along with other equipment to carry out this test. These tests are also recommended for patients with cardiovascular disorders, such as irregular heartbeat, chest pain, or difficulty breathing.

Some factors driving the growth of the market include aging population, and growing awareness about various cardiac and pulmonary diseases, among the general population. Moreover, a sedentary lifestyle is a critical factor contributing to the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Hence, this will increase the diagnosis rate of the patient population undergoing stress tests for the detection of chronic diseases.  

• According to a news article published by the American Heart Association in 2020, heart disease is another potential stress-related problem. It may lead to high blood pressure, which can pose a risk of heart attack and stroke.

Also, market players are focusing on catering to this rising demand by introducing novel equipment with advanced technology. However, the lack of uniformity about the reimbursement policies for stress test equipment in various regionals may slower the market growth.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Stress Tests Equipment Market

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the global market negatively. The pandemic challenged stress resilience and mental health outcomes among specific vulnerable population groups such as patients with a psychiatric disorder, COVID-19-diagnosed patients, healthcare workers, children and adolescents, pregnant women, and elderly people. The early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic were often associated with increased levels of distress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in the general population.

• As per a study published by NCBI in 2021, a study group of 9,565 individuals from 78 countries experienced at least moderate stress levels, while 11% reported the highest stress levels during the height of lockdown, i.e. in April 2020-June 2020.

The stress level among the population increased during the pandemic, but people could not visit healthcare settings to take stress tests due to lockdown restrictions. Hence, the utilization of stress test equipment during the pandemic declined, leading to slower market growth.

The market is expected to recover and exhibit the pre-pandemic growth level in terms of patient visits. It is anticipated to grow at a pre-pandemic growth rate during the forecast period 2023-2030.

Key Insights

• Prevalence of Key Cardiovascular Diseases, By Key Countries, 2022
• Key Industry Developments - Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships
• New Product Launches, By Key Players
• Technological Advancements in Stress Tests Equipment
• Impact of COVID-19 on the Global Stress Tests Equipment Market

Analysis by Product:

Based on the product, the market is segmented into bench-top, trolley-mounted, and wearable devices. The trolley-mounted is expected to account for a significant share of the global market, owing to the ease of handling and technological advancements these products offer. However, wearable devices are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period due to increasing preference for these products among the general population.

• As per an article published by the Frontiers in 2020, a wearable device such as “CortiWatch” uses alpha-cortisol antibody-antigen detection as the functional sensor of the chronoamperometric cortisol sensing unit. This device uses the same theory as ELISA detection, which detects cortisol levels, a stress hormone, to calculate stress levels. Such novel technological advancement in the market is expected to augment the market growth.

Regional Analysis:

To gain extensive insights into the market, Download for Customization

Among regions, North America is expected to dominate the global stress test equipment market during the forecast period. The factors attributing to dominance are the rising incidence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases coupled with developed healthcare infrastructure to meet the increasing demand for advanced diagnosis products among the region's general population. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2020 data, Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of heart disease that is killing approximately 382,820 people annually.

One of the major causes contributing to the increased number of heart diseases is stress. As the awareness related to stress diagnosis tests will rise, the adoption rate of these products across the region will lead to regional growth.

Key Players Covered

The report will include the profiles of key players such as Advanced Instrumentations, GE Healthcare, SCHILLER AG, Clarity Medical, Spacelabs Healthcare, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Glen Med Solutions, MGC DIAGNOSTICS CORPORATION, Mortara Instruments, Inc., and others.

Segmentation

Key Industry Developments

• January 2023: CAIRE Inc., acquired MGC Diagnostics Holdings, Inc., to strengthen CAIRE’s position and focus on diagnostic technologies and further expand its expertise in serving patients throughout the progression of pulmonary disease.
• February 2022: GE Healthcare received approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for additional imaging modalities for its stress agent Rapiscan (Regadenoson).
• August 2021: Cigna launched its first voice-assisted stress test called Cigna StressWaves Test. It is a free online tool that analyses acoustic and semantic voice patterns to evaluate stress levels and was developed in partnership with Ellipsis Health.