Heart disease is a big deal. For many of us, it’s the No. 1 threat to our health. So if your doctor thinks you’re at risk for the disease-or that you already have it – chances are you’re going to undergo some testing, which will help determine if you need treatment.
“There is no one test to determine whether or not you have heart disease,” says Rahul Aggarwal, M.D., interventional cardiologist at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. In order to get a complete picture of your heart’s health, your doctor might want you to have two or more tests.Most of the tests for diagnosing and evaluating heart disease are painless. In fact, many of them don’t require even a needle stick in your arm. But each one you undergo is like a puzzle piece, giving your doctor more information to guide your treatment.
Here are some common tests used to diagnose heart disease, followed by a brief description of how and why each test is done. The information comes from several groups, including the American Heart Association (AHA); the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Your doctor is your best resource in what can be a scary or confusing time,” Dr. Aggarwal says. Each step of the way, you can ask him or her questions about the benefits and risks any test holds for you.
Noninvasive tests are those that don’t require putting needles, dyes, tubes, or other materials into your body, notes the AHA. Some frequently used ones include:
• Chest x-ray: A chest x-ray can give your doctor a look at your heart, lungs and bones. It can’t actually see inside your heart but it can show its shape and size. An x-ray also can show if your lungs are filling with fluid from a heart attack.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): An ECG can show three major electrical signals-or waves- produced by your heart, says the AHA. Each wave represents a different part of you heartbeat. Some information you doctor can glean includes: An abnormal heart rhythm, evidence of a heart attack, enlargement of the heart muscle, and problems with blood flow to the heart.
• Stress test (exercise ECG): A stress ECG tells your doctor how your heart handles workloads. “It helps us learn the cause of your chest pain, see what your risk for having a heart attack is and help you plan an effective yet safe fitness plan,” Dr. Aggarwal says.
• Echocardiography: Your doctor is able to see your heart’s size and shape, plus how well blood pumps through it with every beat. The test can reveal problems with heart valves and whether part of your heart muscle is weak.
As for invasive tests, some require only a quick needle stick. Others – like transesophageal echocardiography – use special probes and can take a half-hour or more. Examples of invasive tests include:
• Thallium stress tests (myocardial perfusion imaging): The thallium test measures the blood supply to different parts of your heart. If an area isn’t getting enough blood, that can indicate atherosclerosis-narrowing of the arteries due to fatty plaque buildup.
• Cardiac catheterization: Catheterization is one of the most valuable tests for diagnosing heart disease, says the AHA. It lets your doctor measure blood pressure or take blood samples within the heart itself. It can find blockages in the arteries.
• Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE): Similar to noninvasive echocardiography, this test offers a detailed look at your heart’s structure and function.
