Diagnostic procedures, ranging from non-invasive to invasive testing, are valuable diagnostic tools for the cardiovascular system. These procedures can catch cardiac problems before symptoms develop in most cases. Based on your needs, the physician will decide which test is right for you.
Radiographic Procedures
The term radiology covers numerous diagnostic tests including x-rays, computed tomography and ultrasound. According to the Merck Online Medical Library, ultrasounds are the most common and least invasive of all radiographic procedures. Through use of frequency waves, ultrasounds can show valve diseases, blood flow and clots and structures of the heart in graphic detail. X-rays are a widely used diagnostic tool used to visualize the heart and lungs; x-rays will show lung congestion, which is a primary indication of cardiovascular problems. Computed Tomography, or CT, uses topographical mapping inside your body to display soft tissues in real time. Computed tomography angiography, also known as a CTA, shows all the large blood vessels in your body.
Electrocardiograms
Also known as an EKG, an electrocardiogram reflects the heart's overall health. The physician can diagnose heart attacks, ischemia, arrythmias and heart blocks immediately after an EKG. EKGs are a quick, inexpensive and painless procedure.
Stress Testing
Stress tests diagnose cardiovascular problems through exercise, medicine and nuclear stress tests. The least invasive is an exercise stress test. The technician will monitor an EKG, blood pressure and heart rate throughout a 10-minute treadmill session. If you are ill or unable to walk on a treadmil,l the physician can use medication to mimic a stress on your heart, which will identify if you are at risk or have cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association explains that nuclear stress tests require an injection of radioisotopes, such as thallium, to allow visualization of the isotope uptake through your cardiovascular system on a special camera.
Cardiac Catheterization
Catheterization is the most invasive diagnostic procedure but also the most accurate, according to the Merck Online Medical Library. A tiny catheter is thread through a large artery all the way into the coronary arteries. The cardiologist visualizes some of the most important structures in the cardiovascular system, including the aorta, en route to the cardiac arteries. The cardiologist injects a dye, which allows visualization of the structures on fluoroscopy, a form of continuous x-ray.
