by Badash M

Animation Movie Available Related Media: Coronary Angiography

The doctor will ask about symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. The doctor may suspect CAD based on your health history and symptoms. This may be enough to suspect coronary artery disease (CAD).

Blood tests may be done to look for risk factors for CAD, such as high:

  • Cholesterol levels
  • Blood glucose levels

An electrocardiogram will be done to look at the electrical activity of the heart. This can find problems with the heart muscle or heart rhythm. It can also show damage from a past heart attack.

In an exercise stress test, a person will walk or jog on a treadmill while the heart's electrical activity is monitored. Physical stress can also be triggered with medication. It may be used for people who cannot exercise. Images may also be taken in some people.

A coronary angiography will be done to confirm the diagnosis. A thin tube is threaded to the arteries of the heart. A contrast material is passed through the tube into the area. Pictures of the heart will be taken. The contrast material will highlight blood flow and blockages.

Images of the heart muscle may be taken. They will also look for changes in blood flow. This can be done with:

References

C-reactive protein (CRP) as cardiac risk factor. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/evaluation/c-reactive-protein-crp-as-cardiac-risk-factor. Accessed April 27, 2022.

Coronary artery disease (CAD). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/coronary-artery-disease-cad. Accessed April 27, 2022.

What is coronary heart disease? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/coronary-heart-disease. Accessed April 27, 2022.

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