What Are the Tests For Coronary Heart Disease?
Diagnostic tests are usually needed to confirm the presence and assess the severity of coronary heart disease. Your doctor will know whether you need any of them. Often more than one test is needed because different tests supply different information. Also, patients vary in their symptoms and so may need more than one test to find out the heart’s condition. The main tests used to diagnose coronary heart disease are described below. Many are not “invasive” procedures–they are done outside the body–and are painless. The tests are: • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) makes a graphic record of the hearts electrical activity as it beats. This can show abnormal heartbeats, muscle damage, blood flow problems, and heart enlargement. • Stress test (or treadmill test or exercise ECG) records the ECG during exercise, usually on a treadmill or exercise bicycle. Some heart problems show up only when more effort is asked of the heart, as happens during increased activity. So the exercise ECG may be d
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