Tests & Diagnosis

If your heart sometimes pounds too fast, beats too slow or skips beats, your doctor may order one of these tests to check your heart’s rhythm:

• Electrocardiogram (EKG) – Measures electrical activity through patches placed on your chest
• Event monitoring and Holter monitoring – Use a wearable sensor to record your heartbeat for up to a month
• Electrophysiology (EP) study – Places a thin tube with an electrode into your blood vessels and guides it up to your heart to map its electrical signals
• Loop recorder – Places a small device in your chest to monitor your heart rate for up to two years

Cardiac catheterization uses soft, thin tubes called catheters that your doctor places into a blood vessel. The tubes carry tiny tools or devices to:

• Check for blocked arteries
• Measure pressure in heart chambers
• Take blood samples to measure oxygen levels

If your doctor finds a problem, you may need a cardiology intervention (treatment) [link to new interventional cardiology page] during the same procedure. Your doctor will discuss the possibility with you before the procedure.

Cardiac imaging allows your doctor to diagnose your heart condition quickly and accurately. These tests show your heart’s movement, structure and arteries.

This technology shows the vessels that send blood to your heart. Coronary calcium scoring [link to new heart calcium score page] checks for calcium buildup in your arteries, while coronary CT angiography uses a contrast dye to highlight potential blockages.

This scan uses painless sound waves to capture detailed images. The most common type, transthoracic echo, moves a small ultrasound wand over your chest. Another type, transesophageal echo, inserts a small camera down your throat to see the back of your heart while you’re under sedation.

Find out how well your heart can handle extra work. Usually, a stress test requires you to walk or jog on a treadmill while a health professional measures your heart rate. But if you can’t safely exercise, your doctor will instead prescribe medicine (dobutamine) to make your heart pump faster. Your exam may include:

• Echocardiogram – Uses ultrasound imaging to show your heart under stress
• Nuclear imaging – Gives you an injection of a tiny amount of radioactive material to show blood flow

If you sometimes faint or nearly pass out, your doctor may order a tilt table test to learn why. You lie on a table that’s raised to a standing position as a technologist measures changes in your blood pressure and heart rate. If you faint, the table returns to a flat position to help you wake up. Your doctor uses information from the test to prescribe treatment.