Coronary artery disease diagnosis is starts on medical and family histories, risk factors, and diagnostic tests.
CAD - Diagnostic Tests and Procedures
- Blood Tests to examine the level of fats, cholesterol, glucose, and proteins in the blood. Any abnormal levels may indicate risk factors for Coronary heart disease.
- EKG (Electrocardiogram) record hearts electrical pulses its strength and timing, helps to find previous or current heart attack and risk of Coronary heart disease.
- Chest X-ray is the picture of heart, lungs, and blood vessels. It helps to reveal indication of a hear failure.
- Echocardiography produces actual moving picture of the heart. It provides information about the size and shape of heart, heart chamber and valve functioning. It is useful to pinpoint the areas of poor blood flow, contraction abnormalities and any injury in heart muscles.
- Computer tomography (CT) scans – produces images of the heart. It helps to identify hardening and narrowing of arteries.
- Stress Testing is performing by making the heart work hard and beat faster; by exercising, if not able to do exercise, then medication is useful to speed up heart. When heart work harder it needs more blood and oxygen, if the arteries are narrowing it cannot provide enough blood or oxygen. Any abnormality such as heart rate, heart rhythm, blood pressure, shortness of breath, and chest pain are helpful in the diagnosis.
- Other stress tests use a radioactive dyes, positron emission tomography, or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to get pictures of the heart during hard working and at rest. This test helps to examine how well heart pumps and blood flowing to the different parts of the heart.
- Coronary angiography - A catheter (thin, flexible tube) is inserting into a blood vessel in the arm, thigh, or neck. Inject a special dye that can be visible on X-ray into the arteries. By seeing this picture, doctor can diagnose any blockage in the arteries and its severity.
- Electron-Beam Computed Tomography measures calcium deposits in and around the coronary arteries. If more calcium detected, then more chances to have coronary heart disease. However, its accuracy is still not provable.