AMITA Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital issued the following announcement on Nov. 20.
Heart tests can sound like a foreign language to the uninitiated. I see it in the uncertainty on many of my patients' faces when I recommend imaging based on their symptoms and history. Besides not always knowing what the test is, they also are understandably concerned about the state of their heart health.
Let me assure you, as I do them, that the need for a heart scan doesn’t necessarily mean that your health concerns are serious. Most people who come into my office are at low to intermediate risk for heart disease. That said, the right test at the right time can save your life by detecting cardiac issues before they have a chance to become life-threatening.
So I’d like to give you a brief summary of some common heart tests (the same summary I give my patients). I hope that it will help ensure peace of mind and encourage a productive conversation with your health provider.
Talk to a cardiologist if you’re experiencing any heart symptoms, including chest pain, high blood pressure, shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat.
Find an AMITA Health cardiologist near you
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
How It Works: Powerful magnets and radio waves take hundreds of detailed pictures of your heart
What It Detects: Heart muscle damage after a heart attack or exposure to COVID-19, heart birth defects, weakening of the heart muscle or other symptoms of heart failure
What to Expect: A pain-free, noninvasive exam performed at rest that usually takes 30 to 60 minutes. Afterward, you can return to your normal daily activities.
Coronary Computed Tomography (CT) Angiogram
How It Works: Medical dye is inserted through a vein in your arm, enabling X-rays to take detailed images of your heart and its surrounding blood vessels
What It Detects: Plaque buildup in the arteries, congenital heart disease, heart cancer, problems with heart valves, abdominal aortic aneurysm and more
What to Expect: Usually takes about 15 minutes; including prep time, it can take more than an hour. No recovery time is required.
Echocardiogram
How It Works: Sound waves produce detailed images of your heart without the use of X-rays
What It Detects: Abnormal heart valves, irregular heartbeats, congenital heart disease, heart murmurs, cardiomyopathy (disease that makes it difficult for your heart to pump blood), pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the arteries that bring blood to your lungs) and more.
What to Expect: A quick, noninvasive way to look at the structure and function of your heart function. The whole procedure usually takes between 15 and 60 minutes, and you'll normally be able to go home shortly afterward.
Life Line Screening
How It Works: Specialized ultrasound waves and blood pressure monitors take images and/or measurements, looking for any abnormalities that might require further examination
What It Detects: Blockages or plaque accumulation in these arteries; obstructions or plaque buildup in the carotid artery, which provides blood to the brain from the heart and can lead to a potentially fatal stroke
What to Expect: For carotid and abdominal arteries, a technologist will place an ultrasound transmitting device with gel on your neck or abdomen to survey the blood vessels. For peripheral arteries, blood pressure cuffs are placed around the upper arms and ankles. A small ultrasound device measures the systolic blood pressure in your limbs. These are painless, noninvasive tests that take about 90 minutes and require no recovery.
Zio Patch
How It Works: A small, adhesive patch worn on the abdomen monitors and records electrocardiogram (ECG) readings for up to two weeks
What It Detects: It provides extensive, real-world data to determine if there are heart rhythm issues or risks that need to be addressed
What to Expect: The patch is small and nonintrusive. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been sending the Zio Patch to people at their homes. They mail the patch back to us for analysis and follow-up.
Cardiac Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan
How It Works: High-energy nuclear (radioactive) particles penetrate the body to provide the clearest and most accurate imaging of the heart
What It Detects: Coronary artery disease (CAD), damage caused by a heart attack, rare clusters of white blood cells in heart tissue and accumulation of an abnormal protein that interferes with heart function; can help determine if a patient is likely to benefit from coronary stents or heart bypass surgery
What to Expect: A pain-free, noninvasive exam performed at rest that takes about 90 minutes. Afterward, you can return to your normal daily activities.
Original source can be found here.
Source: AMITA Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital
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