Coronary atherosclerosis Diagnosis: physical exam, tests, cardiac catheterisation, CT scan, cardiac MRI, ecg, echocardiogram, exercise stress test

Coronary Atherosclerosis - Diagnosis

How is coronary atherosclerosis diagnosed?

Coronary atherosclerosis can be diagnosed with a physical exam or certain tests.

In a physical exam, your doctor might,

Listen to your heart with a stethoscope.
Ask about your medical and family history.
Ask about your lifestyle.
Check your symptoms.
Measure your blood pressure.

There are also some tests that can help doctors in your assessment. Some may have accompanying risks or radiation and will be ordered when there are good indications for the test. These tests include:

Blood tests: Blood tests can be conducted to identify risk factors of atherosclerosis such as high cholesterol and sugar levels.
Cardiac Catheterisation: A long thin tube (catheter) is inserted into the coronary arteries to determine the exact location and severity of any narrowed coronary arteries.
Cardiac Computed Tomography (CT) scan: A CT scan shows the location and severity of the plaque build-up in your arteries.
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMR): The CMR can help detect damage in heart tissues or issues with blood flow.
Echocardiogram: An echocardiogram or heart ultrasound shows how well the heart is pumping.
Electrocardiogram (ECG): An ECG gives information on heart rhythm and electrical activity.
Exercise stress test: Patients will be asked to exercise while connected to an electrocardiogram (ECG) machine to detect changes in the ECG which might suggest blocked coronary arteries. In the event that patients are unable to exercise, medications can be given to induce the effects of exercise on the heart.