13 common heart tests you should know about

Many heart conditions can be prevented or effectively treated when detected early. Healthcare providers use a variety of heart tests to diagnose problems.

These tests can determine if you have existing heart disease or are at risk of developing it. Just as there are different types of heart disease, clinicians use different tests to examine your heart and diagnose issues.

Basic heart health tests

If you have risk factors for heart disease, one of the first things your provider will do is run some basic tests:

• Blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can cause heart disease. Your primary care provider measures your blood pressure during your annual checkups, but if your blood pressure is high, you may be asked to wear a blood pressure monitor for 24 hours to measure your blood pressure and heart rate throughout the day.
• Blood tests. These can measure red and white blood cell counts, your blood sugar (glucose), your cholesterol, and your kidney, liver, and thyroid function. Your blood may also be tested for various proteins and hormones that indicate potential heart problems.

If any of these tests indicate heart disease, your provider may recommend more comprehensive heart health tests.

Coronary imaging tests

Medical imaging can help providers discover what's happening inside your coronary arteries and heart muscle. You may need different images of your heart for your provider to make a complete diagnosis.

Imaging tests may include one or more of the following:

• Cardiac CT scan. A CT (computed tomography) scan provides 3D imaging of your heart and blood vessels. This picture can help your provider see whether you have coronary artery disease, a blockage in your arteries, problems with your heart function, or disease in the membrane surrounding your heart.
• Cardiac MRI. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses magnets and radio waves to capture images of your heart and the surrounding areas. These pictures can help your provider identify heart disease; heart valve problems, such as aortic stenosis; tumors; and damage from a heart attack.
• Chest X-ray. Although an X-ray cannot show what is happening inside your heart, it can pick up signs of heart failure as well as other problems, such as lung disease, which could be affecting your heart function.
• Echocardiogram. An echocardiogram uses electrodes and sound waves to create a picture of your heart in motion. This test can tell your doctor how well your heart chambers and valves pump blood.
• Myocardial perfusion scans. Also called a nuclear stress test, your provider inserts a tiny amount of intravenous radiation, which will collect in your heart area. A special camera takes pictures of your heart at rest and during exercise to see how well blood flows through your arteries to the heart muscle. This test can reveal narrowed arteries or scar tissue from a heart attack.

Other types of noninvasive heart tests

Images of your heart don't show all potential problems, but the following types of heart tests are used to identify specific conditions:

• Electrocardiogram. Also called an EKG or ECG, an electrocardiogram records your heart's electrical signal and measures its rhythm. Electrodes placed on your chest show if your heart is beating normally or if there are signs of arrhythmia, heart failure, or heart attack. The American Heart Association describes two types of arrhythmia and why they're dangerous.
• Exercise stress test. Stress testing can show how well your heart works during physical activity. You walk on a treadmill at different paces as a provider measures your heart rate and blood pressure. Depending on the situation, you may also have an EKG, an echocardiogram, or a myocardial perfusion scan at the same time. In addition to diagnosing possible coronary artery disease, a stress test can help assess what level of exercise is safe for you.
• Holter monitoring. A portable EKG, you wear this small device for 24 to 48 hours as you go about your usual activities. Holter monitoring can give your provider a better idea of what your heart rhythm looks like during varying levels of activity and rest.
• Tilt table testing. This test can help determine whether any dizziness or fainting spells you have had are related to a heart condition. You lay flat on a special table that's slowly raised to a standing position and then lowered back down. During this time, your blood pressure and heart rate are monitored for changes.

Minimally invasive heart health tests

For many people, imaging and heart monitoring alone don't give their providers enough information to fully understand what is happening with their heart. Additional procedures are sometimes needed for a full picture of arterial blockage or other heart problems.

• Cardiac catheterization. During this procedure, a provider inserts a thin, long tube called a catheter into your arm, groin, or neck and uses imaging to guide the catheter to your heart. Your provider conducts an angiogram or performs a minimally invasive procedure.
• Coronary angiogram. An angiogram uses a cardiac catheter to insert contrast dye into your arteries. X-ray pictures are then taken to look for signs of arterial blockage and other problems that could be causing a restriction in blood flow. If blockages are present, your invasive cardiologist can open the arteries in a procedure called angioplasty.

Your heart health matters. Through February, you can test your heart health with a $29 heart scan or vascular screening at Reid Health. For more information, go to reidhealth.org/screenings or request an appointment today.