One of the most used tools for catching heart problems early is the electrocardiogram (EKG), which measures electrical activity in your heart and helps to identify a wide range of potential heart issues.
But an EKG isn’t the final say on whether you have heart issues. That was highlighted recently when superstar Taylor Swift’s father underwent quintuple bypass surgery – despite years of clean EKG reports.
It was an additional screening test (more on this shortly) that revealed multiple blockages in Scott Swift’s heart.
Taking a Picture
An EKG is a quick, painless test that essentially takes a brief picture of the electrical activity in your heart. The test may be offered as a routine part of your annual exam as you get older or if you have any risk factors for heart disease. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
An EKG can help your doctor diagnose irregular heartbeats, previous heart attacks and conditions (narrowed arteries, for example) that may be causing chest pain. The test may be recommended if you have symptoms, such as:
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Fast pulse
- Reduced ability to exercise
- Pounding, skipping or fluttering heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Unexplained fatigue
- Chest pain, chest tightness
It is a powerful tool. Yet it has limitations – because it takes only a brief 10-second snapshot. It is a preliminary test, not a definitive look at what’s happening with your heart.
Putting Your Heart Under Stress
One of weaknesses of the EKG is that it doesn’t offer a functional evaluation of your heart. The assessment takes place in your doctor’s office while you are resting. It is possible to have a normal EKG result but still have heart disease.
That’s where a stress test comes in. This test, as the name implies, examines your heart while it is under stress. This is commonly done by having you walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike while connected to an EKG. This gives your doctor an opportunity to see how well your heart performs when it is pushed beyond a resting state. There are several variations of the stress test, including:
- Chemical stress test: These are designed for people who cannot exercise safely. A medication is injected – through an IV – which increases blood flow in the heart’s arteries mimicking the effects of exercise. This type of stress test is also known as a nuclear stress test, in which a radioactive tracer is injected into your blood stream. Images are taken before and after the medication is administered allowing your cardiologist to determine if there are any major blockages in your arteries.
- Exercise stress echocardiogram: It offers more detailed information than the standard test. Your cardiology team will perform an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of your heart) before the test starts and after you reach peak exercise level. It evaluates valve function and may show areas of the heart that are not receiving enough blood flow.
How Heart Disease Can Sneak Up on You
Heart disease is often linked to aging. As you get older, you have a greater chance of accumulating plaque in your coronary arteries, increasing your risk for heart disease. As you get older, you may also slow down and become more sedentary. You might grow tired more easily and begin to scale back on physical activity, assuming it’s just part of being old.
But heart disease might be the real culprit. While we often connect chest pain with heart disease, the reality is that there are other symptoms, including shortness of breath, fatigue and low energy.
If you find it difficult to carry your groceries into the house, scale a flight of stairs or do basic chores around the house, don’t assume it’s just part of being old. That’s why it is so important to have an open conversation with your family doctor or cardiologist. If there are things you could do six months ago but can’t do today – tell them about it.
It is often these less obvious symptoms, rather than chest pain, that can help your doctor diagnose heart disease sooner, rather than later.
Content is not AI generated.
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