Tests for heart problems Ngā whakamātaunga raru manawa
If you are having problems with your heart, there are several different tests that can help your healthcare provider or hospital staff understand what is causing them.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
The ECG is the simplest test you can have. It records the activity of your heart while you are resting. Many people have an ECG for one reason or another at their healthcare provider, in a heart clinic or in hospital. It is also called a heart tracing.
An ECG is quick and painless — it takes about 20 minutes. A technician or nurse attaches sensors (electrodes) to your chest, arms and legs to record your heart activity. This is then printed as a graph that your healthcare provider can review.
Exercise stress test
The exercise stress test is also sometimes called an exercise tolerance test. You will be linked to an ECG machine, which takes a continuous recording while you do increasing amounts of exercise. This is usually done on a treadmill.
Holter monitor
A Holter monitor continuously records your heartbeat and rhythm over time (usually 24 hours). It shows how your heart reacts to your normal daily activities, not just while you are resting. It is simple and painless.
For this test, electrodes are placed on your chest to send your heart signals to a small, portable recorder. You wear this for 24 hours. You are also given a diary to record your activities and any symptoms you have.
You return the recorder and diary the next day and your healthcare team analyses the results.
You cannot have a bath or shower while you are wearing a Holter monitor.
24-hour blood pressure monitor
It is normal for your blood pressure to change during the day. Sometimes it can be useful to see how your blood pressure changes.
This is a 24-hour test. A blood pressure monitor is put on your arm. You need to wear loose sleeves as this includes a cuff that inflates every:
- 15 minutes during the day
- 30 minutes while you sleep.
You are also given a diary to record your activities and any symptoms you have.
You return the monitor and diary the next day and your healthcare team analyses the results.
Echo tests (echocardiograms)
Echocardiogram tests use ultrasound waves to produce a live picture of your heart (similar to how ultrasound waves show images of a baby inside the womb). An ultrasound probe is held against your chest to show the shape of your heart, how it is beating and how its valves are working.
A dobutamine stress echocardiogram test is like an echocardiogram test but uses a drug to make your heart beat more forcefully, as it does when you exercise.
A transoesophageal echocardiogram test (TOE) is an echocardiogram test in which the probe is put down your oesophagus (food pipe) to view your heart from a different angle. You will be sedated if you have this test.
Electrophysiology study
This is a test that looks at the electrical circuits in your heart.
Fine tubes (electrode catheters) are fed into a blood vessel, usually in your groin. They are then gently moved along the vessel to your heart, where they stimulate your heart and record its electrical activity.
Angiogram
An angiogram looks at the blood vessels in your heart to check for any blockages or narrowed arteries that could cause angina or a heart attack.
Coronary angiography involves having a small tube inserted into an artery and threaded through to the blood vessels of your heart. A special dye is injected through the tube. Special x-ray pictures are then taken to show the blood vessels.
CT angiogram
This is a special x-ray of your heart using a CT scanner. It can look for narrowing or blockages in the blood vessels of your heart (coronary arteries).
CT calcium score (coronary artery calcium score)
A CT calcium score test uses a CT scan to measure calcium deposits in the walls of the blood vessels (arteries) of your heart and calculate a calcium score. The more calcium in your coronary arteries, the higher your risk of heart disease.