The amount of radiation from the study is low. The question you need to ask, do you need an annual stress exam. These studies should not be done routinely just to make sure everything is alright. In fact many insurance companies are now requiring pre-certification for this exam. You know what the ordering doctors are doings. They're doing conventional treadmill stress tests or stress echos, since they know that they do not need to do the nuclear stress exam. Many nuc med departments are only doing about 25% of the cardiac studies that they were doing when compared to a couple of years ago. Don't get me wrong. These exams have their place, just not routine screening.