Angina Diagnosis

Angina is typically diagnosed based on a series of tests that can help decide if you have the condition, determine the extent and severity of disease, and rule out other possible causes of your symptoms. Some of the most common testing procedures used to make a diagnosis of angina include electrocardiogram, stress tests, and cardiac catheterization.

Angina Pectoris

How Is an Angina Diagnosis Made?

In order to diagnose angina, your healthcare provider will ask a number of questions, including questions about:

Current symptoms
Other medical conditions
Current medications
Risk factors for angina and coronary heart disease
Family history of medical conditions, including heart disease.

Your healthcare provider will also perform a physical exam, looking for signs and symptoms of angina, and recommend certain tests and/or procedures. These procedures are used to:

Decide if you have angina
Determine the extent and severity of the disease
Rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.

Tests Used to Diagnose Angina

Some of the tests your healthcare provider may recommend to help make an angina diagnosis include:

Blood tests
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
Stress tests
Echocardiogram
Nuclear heart scans
Cardiac catheterization
Other tests.

Your doctor uses your physical exam results, your risk factors, family history, and your symptoms to decide which test or tests to order.

(Angina Diagnosis Continued: Page 2)