Why did my doctor order a nuclear cardiology test?
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Dr. Steven R Sigman of Piedmont Heart Institute answered:Stress testing combined with nuclear imaging is a cardiac procedure commonly performed both in the office and hospital settings. It allows the physician to actually visualize patterns of blood flow by looking at images of the heart, rather than just by looking at ECG tracings. The best patients for this test are those with an "intermediate" chance of having heart disease,that is the physician cannot be sure if the patient does or does not have coronary artery disease. If your symptoms are typical of cardiac disease and/or you have very strong risk factors for heart disease, your doctor will probably recommend going straight to coronary angiography using the cardiac catheterization technique. If your symptoms are not typical of heart disease and you have no risk factors, your physician may opt to perform "plain old" exercise testing without nuclear imaging or simply not ordering any noninvasive testing at all. All these options can be discussed with your physician.
Stress testing combined with nuclear imaging is a cardiac procedure commonly performed both in the office and hospital settings. It allows the physician to actually visualize patterns of blood flow by looking at images of the heart, rather than just... More -
Dr. James Januzzi answered:A nuclear cardiology test is typically performed in a stress test format, with an exercise component together with the "nuclear" imaging. If you cannot exercise, then drugs that stress the heart will be infused, along with the "nuclear" component.
The nuclear imaging portion of the test is related to the injection of a minimally radioactive tracer that will circulate through the heart arteries, and "light up the heart". We use the added nuclear portion to more sensitivity detect reductions in blood flow (which may not be identified with a standard stress test without imaging) and to localize where the trouble may be.
Nuclear stress tests are more sensitive and specific for the presence of a blocked up artery, but they are more expensive and do come with the exposure to radiation. The choice of a nuclear procedure is usually based on some factor that dictates that "imaging" is necessary. Sometimes it's because your electrocardiogram is abnormal and hard to interpret on the treadmill; sometimes it's because the doctor wants a more sensitive "view" of the heart.
Alternatives to the nuclear cardiology test include stress echo, as well as stress MRI.
A nuclear cardiology test is typically performed in a stress test format, with an exercise component together with the "nuclear" imaging. If you cannot exercise, then drugs that stress the heart will be infused, along with the "nuclear"... More -
Intermountain Healthcare answered:Nuclear imaging tests measure the pattern of blood flow to the heart muscle. They are used in several ways:
- To evaluate areas of damaged heart muscle after a heart attack. Tracers are absorbed by healthy tissue at a different rate than by diseased or damaged tissue. On a nuclear scan, areas of the heart muscle not receiving a good blood supply may appear as "cold spots."
- To assess whether you have coronary artery disease and measure how much your arteries are blocked. In this kind of test, you will exercise to reach a target heart rate. The test compares blood flow to the heart during rest and during exercise. This shows whether your heart is getting enough blood flow when it is under stress.
- To measure the effectiveness of treatment such as bypass surgery or any other procedure designed to restore blood supply to the heart.
Nuclear imaging tests measure the pattern of blood flow to the heart muscle. They are used in several ways: To evaluate areas of damaged heart muscle after a heart attack. Tracers are absorbed by healthy tissue at a different rate than by... More
