What are Radionuclide Tests for your Heart?

With heart conditions being such a big killer, it is sensible to let your doctor know if you think that you have a problem with your heart. There are many tests that can be done to look at the health of the heart, and one of the most popular is the ECG test – it is easy and quick, as well as giving a good overall impression of the heart health. It is also used in clinical trials such as these adaptive phase 1 studies by Richmond Pharmacology.

 

A type of test that you may be asked to have if you have a heart problem is a radionuclide test. There are two main types of this test – they are a CT (computerised tomography) scan and a myocardial perfusion scan. Both of these work using radiation, which is very safe as it is not a large amount.

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The CT Test is used if you have pain in your chest, but the doctors are unsure what is causing it. Using this method, they will be able to get a good look at the heart. A substance is injected into a vein before you are then asked to lie in a CT scanner machine. This can diagnose conditions such as an enlarged heart, and heart disease.

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The myocardial scan uses a camera to get pictures of what is happening in the body. This is a test that is often used if you have already had a diagnosis of angina but are having chest pains, or to see if you have coronary heart disease.