What types of medical tests determine if I have damaged my heart by using fen-phen?
Heart valve damage can be detected by a Doppler “echocardiogram” (also known as an “echo”). An echo is an ultrasound of the heart, a noninvasive and painless procedure. Your primary care physician can refer you to a cardiologist who will schedule the test. Please note, an EKG is not adequate to determine valve damage. PPh is diagnosed through a series of tests. First, a pulmonary function test is used to establish that there is hypertension. Then, a series of tests are given to rule out other potential causes for the hypertension. If no cause for the hypertension is found, the hypertension will be classified as “primary”- hence “primary pulmonary hypertension. PPH is a very serious condition. Neuropsychological damage is difficult to determine because of the inability to sample and analyze human brain cells. If there is serious concern over neuropsychological damage, a specialist in this area should be consulted. These tests sound complicated and costly. Are they covered by insurance?
