Diagnosis & Treatment
Introduction
Besides performing a physical exam and listening to your
symptoms, your physician may order some tests to find out
whether you have cardiovascular disease (CVD). These tests
also can help determine the severity of your condition.
- An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) measures the heart’s
electrical activity as it beats. The test can indicate
irregular heartbeats, heart muscle damage, circulation
problems in the coronary arteries, and enlargement of
the heart.
- A stress test (treadmill test or exercise ECG) records
the heart’s electrical movement while you exercise
on a treadmill or exercise bike.
- Echocardiography transforms sound waves into pictures
that show the heart’s shape, size, and movement.
The sound waves also are used to determine how much blood
the heart pumps out when it contracts.
- A nuclear scan shows the movement of the heart muscle
as blood flows through the heart. For this procedure,
a small amount of radioactive material is injected into
a vein (usually in the arm), and then a camera records
how much of the material the heart muscle takes in.
- An angiogram (also known as angiography or arteriography)
displays an x-ray of circulation problems and blockages
in the coronary arteries. To get these pictures, a doctor
inserts a thin, flexible tube (called a catheter) into
an artery in an arm or leg and into the heart. The doctor
then injects fluid that can appear on an x-ray into the
tube, and technicians film the heart and blood vessels
as the heart pumps.
- A Holter monitor gives your physician the opportunity
to review your heart’s activity for a 24-hour period.
The monitor records each individual heartbeat. In your
physician’s office, ECG patches and wires are applied
to your chest and fastened with tape, then attached to
the monitor, which is the size of a large portable cassette
recorder. You’ll receive a diary to record any symptoms
that occur during the next 24 hours. Your physician may
recommend this type of testing if you experience dizziness,
palpitations, irregular heartbeats, or other symptoms
in your daily life, but which are not present during your
examination.
References
- “Tests
to Diagnose Heart Disease,” American Heart Association,
2003.
- “Holter
Monitor,” MEDLINEplus Medical Encyclopedia,
March 3, 2001.
- “Cardiac
Nuclear Medicine,” Radiological Society of North
America, 2003.
- “Echocardiography,”
MEDLINEplus Medical Encyclopedia, Feb. 26, 2001.
- “Coronary
Angiography,” American Heart Association, 2003.
Source of Material: RockHill Communications, 14
Rock Hill Road Bala, Cynwyd, PA 19004, (610) 667-2040, http://www.RockHillCommunications.com
Writer: Christine Norris
Editors: Andrea King, Joanne Poeggel, Erin Murphy, Ron
Wozny
Clinical Reviewer: Patt Panzer, M.D.
Date Written: 3/1/01
Last Reviewed & Updated: 5/31/2003
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