Heart and vascular screenings
Many heart and vascular conditions are “silent,” meaning they don’t have noticeable symptoms. Often, a major event, such as a heart attack or stroke, is the first sign you have a cardiovascular disease.
The following screenings can help our specialists identify these conditions early to help prevent a major event and keep you feeling well.
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Lipid panel
Lipid panel
A lipid panel is a standard blood test that measures various types of fats (lipids) in your blood, including cholesterol and triglycerides. It can provide important information about your heart health, help assess the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and help guide which medications or therapies may help in reducing your risk of developing heart disease.
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Heart risk assessment
Heart risk assessment
Basic information about your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels and body mass index can tell you a lot about your risk for cardiovascular disease—and what steps you can take to prevent it.
You can take our heart risk quiz or call 214.820.0192 to request a more thorough cardiac risk evaluation.
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Ankle-brachial index
Ankle-brachial index
An ankle-brachial index measures your blood pressure at your arm and ankle. Comparing the two measurements gives your provider insight into the health of your blood flow into your arms and legs and, as a result, your risk for vascular conditions, including peripheral artery disease.
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Coronary calcium score
Coronary calcium score
This quick, painless imaging test uses CT scans to determine whether you have hardened or calcified plaque in your arteries. The more calcified plaque you have, the higher your calcium score. If you have a high score, you are at increased risk for coronary heart disease, which, in turn, can increase your risk for heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular issues.
Once you know your calcium score, you can talk to a cardiologist or primary care provider about lifestyle changes and other steps you can take to lower your cardiovascular risk and protect your heart in the long term.
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Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening
Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a weak area or bulge in the aorta, the body’s largest blood vessel. You can develop aneurysms anywhere in the aorta, but they often occur in the abdominal section. A burst or ruptured aneurysm can be fatal.
Fortunately, we can screen for aneurysms using a vascular ultrasound. One-time abdominal aortic aneurysm screenings are recommended for men who have smoked and are 65 to 75 years old or for those over 60 with a family history of the condition. If your provider finds an aneurysm, we will continue to monitor it.
Lipid panel
A lipid panel is a standard blood test that measures various types of fats (lipids) in your blood, including cholesterol and triglycerides. It can provide important information about your heart health, help assess the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and help guide which medications or therapies may help in reducing your risk of developing heart disease.
Heart risk assessment
Basic information about your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels and body mass index can tell you a lot about your risk for cardiovascular disease—and what steps you can take to prevent it.
You can take our heart risk quiz or call 214.820.0192 to request a more thorough cardiac risk evaluation.
Ankle-brachial index
An ankle-brachial index measures your blood pressure at your arm and ankle. Comparing the two measurements gives your provider insight into the health of your blood flow into your arms and legs and, as a result, your risk for vascular conditions, including peripheral artery disease.
Coronary calcium score
This quick, painless imaging test uses CT scans to determine whether you have hardened or calcified plaque in your arteries. The more calcified plaque you have, the higher your calcium score. If you have a high score, you are at increased risk for coronary heart disease, which, in turn, can increase your risk for heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular issues.
Once you know your calcium score, you can talk to a cardiologist or primary care provider about lifestyle changes and other steps you can take to lower your cardiovascular risk and protect your heart in the long term.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a weak area or bulge in the aorta, the body’s largest blood vessel. You can develop aneurysms anywhere in the aorta, but they often occur in the abdominal section. A burst or ruptured aneurysm can be fatal.
Fortunately, we can screen for aneurysms using a vascular ultrasound. One-time abdominal aortic aneurysm screenings are recommended for men who have smoked and are 65 to 75 years old or for those over 60 with a family history of the condition. If your provider finds an aneurysm, we will continue to monitor it.
Diagnostic tests for heart conditions
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Electrocardiography
Electrocardiography
Electrocardiography is one of the fastest ways to evaluate your heart health. The test measures your heart’s electrical activity and can identify many heart conditions, including arrhythmias, which are abnormal slow or fast heart rhythms.
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Echocardiography
Echocardiography
Echocardiograms, sometimes called heart echo or ultrasound tests, use ultrasound imaging to measure the size of your heart, how well your heart functions and whether your heart valves are working properly. Echocardiogram testing is used to diagnose many different heart problems, such as heart valve disease and blood clots.
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Heart stress tests
Heart stress tests
Heart stress tests help cardiologists diagnose heart disease by identifying problems that show up when the heart is working harder than normal. Your doctor will use exercise (usually walking on a treadmill) or medication to increase your heart’s activity and then monitor that activity with an electrocardiogram.
Your results can help inform the best path forward.
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Holter monitors
Holter monitors
Holter monitors measure your heart’s activity over a 24–48-hour period. A type of electrocardiogram, a Holter monitor, can help heart specialists identify problems that may not appear during an office visit. The devices are often used to diagnose heart arrhythmias and other forms of heart disease.
Electrocardiography
Electrocardiography is one of the fastest ways to evaluate your heart health. The test measures your heart’s electrical activity and can identify many heart conditions, including arrhythmias, which are abnormal slow or fast heart rhythms.
Echocardiography
Echocardiograms, sometimes called heart echo or ultrasound tests, use ultrasound imaging to measure the size of your heart, how well your heart functions and whether your heart valves are working properly. Echocardiogram testing is used to diagnose many different heart problems, such as heart valve disease and blood clots.
Heart stress tests
Heart stress tests help cardiologists diagnose heart disease by identifying problems that show up when the heart is working harder than normal. Your doctor will use exercise (usually walking on a treadmill) or medication to increase your heart’s activity and then monitor that activity with an electrocardiogram.
Your results can help inform the best path forward.
Holter monitors
Holter monitors measure your heart’s activity over a 24–48-hour period. A type of electrocardiogram, a Holter monitor, can help heart specialists identify problems that may not appear during an office visit. The devices are often used to diagnose heart arrhythmias and other forms of heart disease.
Vascular ultrasounds
Ultrasound imaging, also called a sonogram, uses sound waves to produce images of the inside of your body. These highly accurate tests produce detailed information without the risks associated with invasive procedures like surgery.
We use vascular ultrasounds to identify many conditions, including:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysms
- Blockages in the arteries and veins
- Blood clots and deep vein thrombosis
- Carotid artery disease
- Stroke risk
We also use vascular ultrasounds to guide treatment decisions if you’ve already been diagnosed with a vascular disease.
Electrophysiology labs for comprehensive heart testing and treatment
Many heart tests take place in electrophysiology labs, which house all the equipment and tools we need to diagnose heart rhythm disorders, such as arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation.
The medical professionals in our electrophysiology labs can also provide treatment for these heart conditions. You can receive a pacemaker or other device to help regulate your heart’s rhythm, have follow-up visits after receiving another treatment and attend education sessions that help you manage your condition, all at one of our conveniently located labs.
Catheterization labs for a closer look at your heart and blood vessels
A catheterization lab, or cath lab, has equipment used to look at the heart and blood vessels to identify structural issues or blockages and measure heart pressures that help see how it is functioning.
Cath labs are used to diagnose conditions like coronary artery disease (CAD), valve disorders and congenital heart defects. In most cases, a specialist will meet with you and your care team after a procedure to explain the findings and next steps so everyone is on the same page at the end of your visit.