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What Are The Tests To Assess Cardiac Health Other Than ECG?

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Posted on Thu, 9 Jul 2015
Question: What are the tests to assess cardiac health? other than ECG?
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Answered by Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan (11 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
List of investigations mentioned

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking

i read your question and i understand your concern. Apart from ekg many other test both in blood and radiology assess the cardiac health. We will talk about some of them.

1) Lipid profile: More specifically cholesterol assessment is mainstay to assess cardiac health. Low density lipoproteins ( ideally less than 130 mg / dl or 3.4 nmol/ l) , high density lipoproteins ( ideally 60 mg/ dl or higher) , Triglycerides ( ideally less than 150 mg/ dl) are some of the cholesterol tests we do to measure heart health.

2)C Reactive Protein Levels indicate cardiac risk the lower the value the lesser the risk. Values less than 1mg / dl should be considered ideal and have low heart risk.

3) Fibrinogen levels are good to some extent but too much of them is bad. Oral contraceptive pills and smoking cause increase in their levels. There is no standard treatment to lower fibrinogen levels and labs also vary in standardization to assess it. But still it is considered marker for health risk.

4) Lipoprotein (a) mostly genetic and not affected by lifestyle etc is measured in familial disorders where heart is at risk for atherosclerosis.

5) Natriuretic peptides like BNP etc can help assess the heart at risk. Increased levels means at risk heart like angina or hypertrophy or infarction.

6) Echocardiography is used to see the function of heart and measures its out put and correlate it with size, ejection fraction, any abnormal sound or flow or murmur etc.

Apart from it other test are ordered only if there is a risk or suspicion of some heart illness like angina or MI like Troponin T test, LDH, CK MB enzymes and other enzyme assays etc. Angiography etc is done only if there is some blockage of the coronary arteries of the heart suspected.

I hope it helps. Take good care of yourself and dont forget to close the discussion please.

regards
Khan
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2012

Answered : 3613 Questions

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What Are The Tests To Assess Cardiac Health Other Than ECG?

Brief Answer: List of investigations mentioned Detailed Answer: Thank you for asking i read your question and i understand your concern. Apart from ekg many other test both in blood and radiology assess the cardiac health. We will talk about some of them. 1) Lipid profile: More specifically cholesterol assessment is mainstay to assess cardiac health. Low density lipoproteins ( ideally less than 130 mg / dl or 3.4 nmol/ l) , high density lipoproteins ( ideally 60 mg/ dl or higher) , Triglycerides ( ideally less than 150 mg/ dl) are some of the cholesterol tests we do to measure heart health. 2)C Reactive Protein Levels indicate cardiac risk the lower the value the lesser the risk. Values less than 1mg / dl should be considered ideal and have low heart risk. 3) Fibrinogen levels are good to some extent but too much of them is bad. Oral contraceptive pills and smoking cause increase in their levels. There is no standard treatment to lower fibrinogen levels and labs also vary in standardization to assess it. But still it is considered marker for health risk. 4) Lipoprotein (a) mostly genetic and not affected by lifestyle etc is measured in familial disorders where heart is at risk for atherosclerosis. 5) Natriuretic peptides like BNP etc can help assess the heart at risk. Increased levels means at risk heart like angina or hypertrophy or infarction. 6) Echocardiography is used to see the function of heart and measures its out put and correlate it with size, ejection fraction, any abnormal sound or flow or murmur etc. Apart from it other test are ordered only if there is a risk or suspicion of some heart illness like angina or MI like Troponin T test, LDH, CK MB enzymes and other enzyme assays etc. Angiography etc is done only if there is some blockage of the coronary arteries of the heart suspected. I hope it helps. Take good care of yourself and dont forget to close the discussion please. regards Khan