|
There is no single test that can diagnose heart failure. Rather, the diagnosis is usually based upon a medical history and complete physical examination, which includes a blood pressure check, listening to the patient’s heart through a stethoscope and taking the patient’s pulse. Additional tests that a physician may use to determine the cause and severity of heart failure include:
- Blood tests. Traditional tests evaluate potential causes of heart failure, such as anemia and thyroid function, and electrolytes and kidney function. However, a new test may be effective in diagnosing heart failure. The blood test measures levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a protein that is produced by the heart as it fails.
- Echocardiogram of the heart and major arteries. This test uses ultrasound technology to closely examine the overall muscle function of the heart, allowing the physician to evaluate the size, thickness and pumping action of the heart, as well as evaluate how well the heart valves are functioning. A stress echocardiogram may also be useful in assessing how well the heart is functioning at rest and during exercise. An echocardiogram is the single most important test for the diagnosis of heart failure.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG). A test that measures the heart’s electrical activity. It is designed to detect any abnormal heart rhythms, heart enlargement, cardiac ischemia or heart attack.
- Exercise stress test. A test in which an EKG is performed at rest and then under the physical stress of exercise, to evaluate the heart’s performance at rest and during times of physical exertion.
- Radionuclide imaging tests, such as a nuclear stress test or ventriculogram. These provide contrast images of the heart, which can pinpoint areas of damage and/or dysfunction and determine how well the heart is pumping.
- Chest x-ray to evaluate the size and shape of the heart, as well as to view the lungs and any fluid that may have built up.
More invasive tests may be ordered in conjunction with, or instead of the above. These tests include a coronary angiogram, in which a contrast dye is delivered by catheter to the coronary arteries to visualize the blood vessels and identify heart damage or dysfunction.
|
/doctor_89.jpg "ulcerative colitis tips")
