Testing and diagnosis

A number of different tests are used to diagnose heart-related problems, including:

• Ambulatory blood pressure recording - This test will measure your blood pressure over a period of 24 hours whilst you are doing your normal activities or are asleep.
• Ambulatory ECG - A painless test that records the electrical activity of the heart for a period of between 1 and 14 days.
• Blood pressure test - A measurement of the pressure inside your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body.
• Cardiac catheterisation - A cardiac catheterisation, or coronary angiogram, is a special test to find out if you have any problems with the coronary arteries (blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with oxygen), and to find out how well the pumping chambers and valves in your heart are working.
• Cardiac stress testing - These are a way to detect heart and circulatory problems such as irregular heartbeat, partially blocked arteries, or heart attack risk that might not be detected while a patient is at rest.
• Contrast echocardiography - When a standard echocardiography is not suitable to produce a clear and detailed image of the heart, a contrast echocardiography may be used. The test is particularly effective to measure the endocardial border and left ventricular function in patients who have suboptimal non contrast echocardiogram.
• CT coronary angiography - A test used to measure the blood flow through the coronary arteries, where an iodine-based dye is injected into the bloodstream to highlight the vessels.
• ECG - An electrocardiogram or ECG measures the electrical activity of your heart. Analysis of the results can indicate any damage to the heart muscle. An ECG can be used to assess if you have had a heart attack or evidence of a previous heart attack.
• Echocardiogram - A painless test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the heart. The test provides information about the size and shape of the heart and how well the heart's chambers and valves are working.

A test and diagnosis is something that will be recommended by your Consultant, at which point our team will arrange an appointment for you. 
 
If you would like a test and diagnosis and you aren’t speaking to one of our Consultants yet, book an initial consultation using our online booking portal. If you need a test and diagnosis, they will arrange it for you.