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Heart & Vascular Screening & Diagnosis

Access preventative screenings and diagnostic tests that help you protect your heart and blood vessels near you in LA County at PIH Health. You’ll receive timely, accurate results so your doctor can recommend the right next steps for your well-being.

Screening Tests

If you’re at risk of developing a heart or vascular disease, your doctor may recommend a screening test to detect conditions before symptoms appear. Depending on your health history, you may receive:

  • Heart disease screening – Looks at your heart, using a calcium score scan, to see if you have an increased risk of heart attack or heart disease
  • Vascular disease screening, including:
    • Carotid artery disease (CAD) screening – Uses ultrasound to check arteries in your neck for plaque (fat) or aneurysms (weak areas) that could slow blood flow to the brain and cause a stroke
    • Peripheral artery disease (PAD) screening – Checks blood pressure of your lower legs and arms, then compares the readings for a sign of an artery blockage

Should I Get a Screening Test?

Talk to your primary care doctor about screening tests if your heart and vascular disease risk factors include:

  • Diabetes
  • Family history of heart or vascular disease
  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Obesity
  • Inactive lifestyle
  • Smoking
  • Claudication (leg pain when walking)

Imaging Tests

Depending on your symptoms or condition, your doctor may have you get an imaging test to show how your heart and blood vessels are working. Imaging tests include:

  • Angiogram – Uses cardiac catheterization (thin, flexible tubes placed in a heart artery) and contrast dye to make your blood vessels show up in real time on a special X-ray machine
  • Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – Makes detailed pictures of your heart without using radiation
  • Doppler ultrasound – Checks blood flow in certain areas of your body
  • Echocardiogram (echo) – Shows how your heart beats and pumps blood using an ultrasound test
  • Positron emission tomography (PET) scan – Uses a small amount of radioactive material and a contrast dye, so your heart and blood vessels are visible on a special camera
  • Transradial cardiac catheterization – Diagnoses certain heart conditions, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), by inserting a long tube (catheter) into your arm to take pictures of your heart’s arteries

Heart Stress Test

You may receive a heart stress test to monitor your heart while you exercise or after you take a medication that mimics the effect of exercise on your heart. Stress tests help your doctor:

  • Detect coronary artery disease
  • See abnormal heart rhythms
  • Determine safe levels of exercise

Heart Rhythm Tests

To check if your heart beats too fast or too slow (arrhythmia), you may receive:

  • Electrocardiogram (EKG/ECG) – Tracks electrical currents that cause your heart to pump to check for heart damage or stress
  • Electrophysiology (EP) – Examines the electrical system of the heart to find where the irregular heartbeat is coming from
  • Holter monitor and/or Event monitors – Small monitors that you wear which record your heartbeats during your daily activity

Your Results

Rely on a heart and vascular physician at PIH Health to review your results with you before you leave. You can access your results after your visit through your patient portal.