- Angiography
Angiography involves inserting a long, thin tube (catheter) through your arm or leg artery to your heart. A dye is then sent through the catheter into your coronary arteries. An angiogram can show the movement of the dye through your heart and blood vessels, showing the exact location and severity of any blockages.
- Blood Tests
Blood tests measure different components in your bloodstream to show your healthcare provider how healthy your blood and heart are.
- hs C-Reactive Protein Test can help predict cardiovascular risk over and above that of major risk factors. An hs-CRP of more than .20mg/dL predicts high risk for stroke and heart attack. C-reative protein is a substance in the blood that occurs when inflammation occurs. Physicians have found that atherosclerosis (fatty buildup in artery walls) also produces an inflammatory process, so it registers on this test.
- Lipid Profile measures your LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides.
- Blood sugar (glucose) detects the presence of diabetes and glucose intolerance (pre-diabetic). Both are significant heart and vascular disease risks.
- Complete blood count, thyroid studies, arterial blood gases, and other tests help diagnose other conditions that may be the cause of your symptoms.
- Cardiac Catherization and Balloon Angioplasty
Cardiac catheterization procedures help diagnose and treat heart disease in patients of all ages. A cardiac catheter is a tube (catheter) that is inserted in an artery or vein and information is collected on the valves, chambers, and arteries, as well as the structure and function of the heart. A cardiac cath can show a cardiologist the precise location of a blockage or defect .
Invasive procedures can also be performed with special balloon catheters and stents to open blockages in the arteries supplying blood to the heart. Intracoronary brachytherapy is a safe, low-level radiation treatment that prevents scar tissue from growing throughout the stent, filling the artery and causing another blockage.
- Cardiac MRI
Cardiac MRI evaluates the anatomy and function of chest structures, including the heart, lungs, major vessels, and pericardium (the outside lining of the heart). MRI uses large magnets and radio-frequency waves to produce pictures of these structures, such as the heart; no X-ray exposure is involved. This technology gathers information about the heart as it is beating, creating moving images of the heart throughout its pumping cycle. It can be used to measure heart size and function, localize heart damage from a heart attack, and look for areas that are not receiving adequate blood flow.
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- Multi-detector CT calcium scoring
Also known as calcium screening or a calcium-scoring scan, this test is used to detect calcium deposits found in atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries. The more coronary calcium means more coronary atherosclerosis, or the greater amount of plaque buildup within vessels in the coronary system. In large patient groups, patients with very high calicum scores have more frequent cardiovascular events, including heart attack. However, this test is not absolute in predicting an individual's risk for cardiovascular disease problems.
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- Echocardiography
The Echocardiography Laboratory offers a variety of noninvasive ultrasound and sonogram techniques to image cardiac structures and function, including blood-flow through cardiac chambers. An echocardiogram can help diagnose heart valve problems and determine their severity. Echo techniques provide information about conditions such as heart muscle contraction, valve motion, blood clots in heart chambers, and scar tissue from heart attacks.
Myocardial contrast echocardiography is a quick and convenient diagnostic tool using microbubbles and ultrasound to measure blood flow to the heart muscle. It can detect coronary artery disease in its earliest stages, as well as assess the presence or healthy tissue in congestive heart failure and evaluate various techniques used in bypass surgery.
- EECP (Enhanced External Counterpulsation)
EECP is a noninvasive mechanical method to deliver extra blood to the heart. This method can help to reduce or eliminate angina -- chest pains caused by coronary artery disease and has been approved for use in patients with congestive heart failure. EECP uses compressed air to inflate three sets of cuffs that wrapped around the patient's calves, lower thighs and upper thighs while they lie on the treatment table. The cuffs are inflated in a sequence. Treatment sessions are for one hour, five days per week for seven weeks, on average.
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- Electrocardiography
The Electrocardiography Laboratory provides a full range of services for detecting heartbeat abnormalities. Services include standard 12-lead electrocardiograms, tape recorders that monitor up to 36 continuous hours of heartbeats, patient-activated monitoring devices that record irregularities of heart rhythm, and devices that identify patients at high risk for sudden death from irregularities of heart rhythm. Pacemaker function is also assessed through computer-managed telephone links.
- Electrophysiology
The Electrophysiology Laboratory studies the electrical system of the heart by examining disturbances of heart rhythm under controlled circumstances, using small catheters that are inserted through blood vessels into the heart.
- Nuclear Cardiology
The Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory evaluates cardiac blood flow and function through the use of small amounts of radioactive materials. Nuclear cardiology can help identify patients who might benefit from angioplasty or bypass surgery after a heart attack. Images of the heart provided by special cameras detect the presence and function severity of heart disease, especially coronary artery disease. Many nuclear imaging procedures are performed in conjunction with exercise or pharmacological stress testing.
- Stress Tests
The Stress tests helps to diagnose blockages in your coronary arteries by seeing if you develop symptoms or other abnormalities as your heart works harder under stress.
- Exercise stress tests monitor your heart while you either walk on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike. Your blood pressure, EKG, and any problems you might experience are recorded and observed during the test.
- Pharmacologic stress tests use a drug, such as adenosine, to reproduce the effects of exercise on the heart. This is a safe alternative for individuals who are unable to perform the required level of exercise due to older age, arthritis, or excess weight.
- Vascular
The Vascular Laboratory tests determine the adequacy of blood flow in arteries and veins throughout the body. Ultrasound and pressure measurements are used to identify blockages and reduced flow, and to assist in the diagnosis of peripheral vascular, abdominal and carotid artery disease (referred to as carotid intimal medial thickness study).
- Vascular Reactivity Study (referred to as brachial artery reactivity)
This test uses a blood pressure cuff to measure your blood vessels' ability to dilate after the blood flow is stopped for five minutes. The diameter of a healthy blood vessel is able to expand 25 percent above baseline, but blood vessels with fatty buildup may not expand at all.
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