What are the tests for heart disease?

by | Heart Attacks and Strokes, Tests and Investigations, Videos

So, there are many tests for heart disease, and it’s a question of horses for courses, the right test for the right person.

The first test we often do is a blood test, to look for cholesterol and sugar levels. We’ll sometimes do a chest x-ray, to look as to whether the heart is enlarged.

There’s a test called an ECG, which is standing for electrocardiogram, which are little dots on the chest that record the electrical activity of the heart.

And then there are some slightly more complicated tests, there are ultrasounds you can do on the heart to look for the strength of the heart muscle, or how the valves in the heart work. There CT scans, or MRIs, to look in detail at the structure and function of the heart, and then finally, there’s a test called an angiogram, where you put a very thin tube into someone’s wrist or leg, thread it up to the heart, inject some dye, and look where there are any blockages in the vessels. So there are lots of tests to look for heart problems.

Head to Heart Foundation for more information https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/

Professor David Celermajer is Scandrett Professor of Cardiology and Head of Cardiology at the University of Sydney.