Coronary angiography is an imaging test used to diagnose and treat heart disease, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. During the test a thin tube is inserted into the arm, groin or neck and threaded up through the blood...
A coronary angiography, or coronary angiogram, is an X-ray examination of the arteries that supply the heart with blood. Usually these arteries are not visible on an X-ray, but for a coronary angiography a special dye is injected into the vessels...
Cardiac catheterization, also known as a coronary angiogram or cardiac cath, is considered an invasive imaging procedure. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a cardiac catheterization is used to determine coronary artery disease, valve disease or...
Hypertensive heart disease can be identified by a number of different symptoms. The most prominent symptoms include shortness of breath during light to moderate activity and even waking with shortness of breath. Some sufferers of hypertensive...
How well you care for your teeth may predict your risk of heart attack. Researchers have described a clear relationship between poor dental hygiene and heart disease. The analysis of a series of studies including over 80,000 patients showed an...
A stent is a small tube made of metal mesh or fabric. It is used to add support or structure to damaged arteries, or to keep narrowed arteries open typically following a balloon angioplasty. Some stents have a medicated coating to prevent the...
In the last several years there has been an increase in the diagnosis of broken heart syndrome. The broken heart syndrome is seen when a patient presents with an acute coronary syndrome or heart attack but has no blocked arteries. Patients will...
A diagnostic procedure called cardiac catheterization may be used to evaluate certain patients for heart defects, damage or disease. Despite the beneficial aspects of this procedure, cardiac catheterization may not be appropriate for all patients....
Angiography is a medical procedure in which X-rays are used to visualize the inside of blood vessels. A special contrast dye that is visible by X-ray is injected into the blood vessels of interest to highlight the vessel walls, as well as any...
Coronary vasospasm, also known as variant angina or Prinzmetal's angina, is a condition characterized by inappropriate constriction of the heart's arteries. Myron Prinzmetal first described the condition in 1959. Patients with this condition...
Heart tests given by doctors help determine the cause of specific symptoms. Different tests provide different information. The most basic heart test can lead to more invasive diagnostic procedures. It is not uncommon for patients with symptoms of...
Stress testing is a common office and hospital cardiology procedure. These tests are ordered by all types of physicians and cardiologists. The most common reason to have a stress test is to determine if chest pain is a sign of poor circulation to...
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a condition caused by plaque, a sticky substance made of fat, cholesterol and calcium, that builds up in the coronary artery, the main artery that supplies blood to the heart. With The American Heart Association...
Cardiac scans can be performed using computed tomography (CT), a common test that makes use of x-rays to take pictures of the heart. Different types of cardiac CT scans are used to detect varying problems with the heart, including blood clots or...
Arteriosclerosis, also called atherosclerosis and hardening of the arteries, is characterized by the loss of flexibility, strength and stretchiness of blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood throughout the body. Age and heredity, along with...
Statistics in the United States demonstrate that coronary artery disease is the most common cause of death. It is the disease responsible for "Acute Coronary Syndrome," more commonly known as a heart attack. This is a circumstance where a...
