Cardiac screenings detect and evaluate heart disease, with tests including electrocardiograms, stress tests, and echocardiograms. The type of test ordered depends on the individual’s symptoms and the doctor’s needs. Regular screenings can prevent and diagnose heart disease.
A cardiac screening is a diagnostic test used to detect and evaluate heart disease. Often, when a patient presents cardiac symptoms to a doctor, they may be referred for screening to either confirm an abnormality or to rule one out. Individuals with existing disease will typically undergo frequent screenings to monitor disease progression and treatment effectiveness. In many cases, a cardiac screening is included as part of a preventive health exam in an effort to catch a disease before the patient develops symptoms. There are many different types of heart screening, and which test a patient gets can depend on the symptoms they are exhibiting.
An electrocardiogram, or EKG, is a common cardiac screening. This noninvasive cardiovascular screening uses electrodes to record the heart’s electrical signals. The test can show how well the heart is beating. It can also indicate any irregular heartbeat, such as an arrhythmia. Often, many doctors have an ECG machine available in their office, which can eliminate the need to visit a hospital for testing.
If a person complains that they give in easily under exertion, they may be referred for a stress test. A stress test is a type of cardiac screening that evaluates the function of the heart under stress. In most cases, the person will be asked to take part in some type of physical activity. Often, this can mean running on a treadmill to get your heart rate up. Patients who are unable to exercise may be given a heart-stimulating drug instead.
Often, when an individual undergoes a standard cardiac screening such as an EKG and the results are inconclusive, a doctor may order further tests. An echocardiogram may be one of the follow-up tests ordered. This type of health screening creates a moving picture of the heart using sound waves picked up by a transducer. Echocardiograms can show a clear, detailed picture of the heart. From this test, a doctor can examine the heart valves and arteries, look for blood clots, and tell how well the heart is pumping blood.
The type of cardiac screening tests a doctor orders may depend on the individual’s symptoms or the type of information the doctor needs. When part of a preventive examination, an EKG may be the test of choice because it is relatively fast and can provide a great deal of background information about the heart. If a more thorough analysis is needed, a patient may be referred for an echocardiogram or cardiac computed tomography (CT) scan. A CT scan can be used to create cross-sectional views of the heart and the many structures within it. If a person has ongoing heart symptoms, they should see a doctor for screening, as the test can be used to prevent some diseases and diagnose others before significant heart damage occurs.
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