Heart Failure - Exams and Tests
Heart failure is a complex problem. So you will likely have several different tests over time. These tests can:
- Find out if you have heart failure.
- Find the cause of your heart failure.
- Find the type of heart failure you have.
- Show how bad your heart failure is (class and stage).
- See how well your treatment is working.
If you have symptoms that suggest heart failure, you may have:
- A review of your medical history and a physical exam.
- Lab tests.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG, ECG) and stress tests.
- Chest X-ray.
- Echocardiogram (echo).
- Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP).
- Cardiac catheterization.
An echocardiogram is the best and simplest way to diagnose heart failure. It also can help guide treatment.
Sometimes, because of a person's weight, breast size, or severe lung disease, an echocardiogram might not be accurate. If that happens, a cardiac blood pool scan may be done instead. It checks how well the left ventricle is pumping. But it's not as good at finding heart valve disease and a thick heart muscle.
Tests also may be done to find areas of the heart that are not getting enough blood. These tests include:
- Cardiac perfusion scan. This test can show poor blood flow to the heart.
- Cardiac catheterization. This test can be used to check for blocked or narrowed heart arteries and to measure pressures inside the heart.
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