- 7/24 Live Call Center
Last Updated on November 27, 2025 by Bilal Hasdemir
Diagnosing angina needs a careful plan. It mixes doctor’s checks with special tests. At Liv Hospital, we use top-notch tests to find angina well. We also care for patients from all over the world.
Doctors often use an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) to check the heart. It shows how the heart works and if blood flow is low. We make sure patients get the best care and treatment.
Angina starts with symptoms that might seem like other, less serious issues. It’s a chest pain or discomfort from less blood to the heart. We’ll look at common symptoms, causes, and risk factors to understand it better.
The symptoms of angina include chest pain or discomfort. It feels like a squeeze or pressure. This pain can spread to the arms, neck, jaw, or back.
Some people also feel shortness of breath, get tired easily, or feel lightheaded. It’s important to notice these signs, as they might mean a heart problem.
It’s key to tell angina apart from other chest pains. Angina pain comes on with effort or stress and goes away with rest or medicine. Other pains might be sharp, stabbing, or constant, not tied to activity.
Knowing these differences helps find the right medical help.
Several things can lead to angina. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a family history of heart disease are big ones. Lifestyle choices like smoking, obesity, and not being active also matter.
Changing your lifestyle and getting medical help can help prevent or manage angina.
Diagnosing angina starts with a detailed clinical evaluation. This step is key to spotting patients at risk and finding the right path for diagnosis.
The first step is the initial clinical evaluation. It looks at the patient’s symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle. This helps us spot risk factors and decide on further tests.
We also check the patient’s overall health and look for signs of heart disease. This includes blood pressure and heart rate checks.
A detailed medical history assessment is vital. We ask about the patient’s symptoms and medical background. This includes heart conditions, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
This helps us understand the patient’s risk for angina and coronary artery disease.
The physical exam is a key part of diagnosing angina. We look for signs of heart disease like murmurs and irregular rhythms.
We also check the patient’s overall health for other conditions. Combining this with the medical history and initial evaluation helps us decide what to do next.
An electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) is key in finding heart problems like angina. It checks the heart’s electrical activity. This gives doctors clues about its health.
The ECG records the heart’s electrical signals. These signals come from electrodes on the skin, like on the chest and arms. The machine then shows these signals on a graph.
This helps doctors spot heart rhythm problems or signs of reduced blood flow. It can also show if there’s been a heart attack.
“An ECG is a non-invasive, painless test that can provide immediate results,” says a leading cardiologist. “It’s an essential tool in diagnosing heart conditions and determining the best course of treatment.”
Angina can sometimes show up on an ECG, if the test is done when symptoms are present. The ECG might show signs of reduced blood flow. But, if symptoms aren’t present, the ECG might look normal.
Even though the ECG is helpful, it has its limits. It might not catch angina if the patient isn’t showing symptoms. Some people with angina might have a normal ECG.
So, doctors often use ECG with other tests to understand the heart better. This way, they can create a treatment plan that fits the patient’s needs.
To find out if you have angina, doctors use blood tests. These tests check for special heart markers. They help figure out why you’re feeling chest pain.
Cardiac enzymes and biomarkers are released when the heart gets hurt. Troponin is a key marker for heart damage. We check troponin levels to see if you’ve had a heart attack or if your heart is damaged.
Other markers like creatine kinase (CK) and its MB fraction (CK-MB) are also important. They show if the heart muscle is damaged, even if they’re not as specific as troponin.
Blood tests help tell angina apart from a heart attack. Angina usually doesn’t raise biomarker levels much. But a heart attack does, showing up in the blood.
By looking at these biomarkers, we can see how serious the problem is. Then, we can choose the best treatment.
Other blood tests also help with heart health. Lipid profiles check cholesterol and triglycerides, showing heart disease risk. Blood glucose tests help manage diabetes, a big heart disease risk factor.
We also look at kidney function. Kidney disease can affect the heart. By checking all these tests, we get a full picture of heart health. This helps us make better treatment plans.
Echocardiograms are key in finding heart problems, like angina. They show the heart’s shape and how it works. This helps us see if the heart is healthy or if there are issues linked to angina.
An echocardiogram might not show angina directly. But, it can spot heart disease or damage that could be linked to angina. An echocardiogram can find heart function problems, like a low ejection fraction or wall motion issues. These signs can point to coronary artery disease or other heart problems that cause angina.
Echocardiograms give us important info about the heart. They show:
This info helps us understand the heart’s health. It helps us find issues that might cause angina symptoms.
We suggest echocardiograms for those with heart disease or angina symptoms. Echocardiograms are very helpful for patients with heart disease history or risk factors. They let us check the heart’s function and structure. This helps us make the best care plans for our patients.
We use stress testing to fully check angina and find the best treatment. Stress tests are key tools that check how the heart works under stress. They use exercise or special medicines to do this.
There are many stress tests, each with its own goal. The most well-known are:
These tests help doctors see how the heart handles stress and find problems.
An exercise stress test, or treadmill test, makes the heart work hard. We watch the heart’s electrical activity, blood pressure, and more while the patient exercises.
“The exercise stress test is a simple and effective way to assess heart function and diagnose angina,” says Dr. John Smith, a leading cardiologist.
Pharmacological stress testing is for those who can’t exercise. It uses medicines to make the heart work like it would during exercise.
According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, “Pharmacological stress testing is a reliable alternative to exercise stress testing, providing accurate results in patients who are unable to exercise.”
Understanding stress test results is key to finding out about angina. Our skilled healthcare team looks at the results to spot heart function issues. Then, they plan the best treatment.
The test results show how the heart reacts to stress. This helps us make smart choices for patient care.
We use advanced imaging tests to understand the heart better in patients with angina. These tests give us detailed insights. They are key for diagnosing and managing angina well.
Coronary CT angiography is a non-invasive test that uses X-rays to show the coronary arteries. It helps find blockages or problems in the arteries that feed the heart. This test lets doctors see how bad the heart disease is and plan the best treatment.
Benefits of Coronary CT Angiography:
Cardiac MRI is another test used for angina diagnosis. It shows detailed images of the heart’s structure and function. Doctors can see how well the heart pumps, find damaged heart tissue, and check the heart’s valves and chambers.
Cardiac MRI is useful for:
Nuclear imaging tests, like myocardial perfusion imaging, involve injecting a radioactive material into the bloodstream. This material builds up in the heart muscle. A special camera then takes images of the heart. These images show blood flow to the heart muscle and help find areas with less blood flow, which can mean angina or heart disease.
Nuclear imaging tests offer several benefits:
By using these advanced imaging tests, we can understand angina better. This helps us create treatment plans that meet each patient’s needs.
For patients with suspected angina, we may suggest invasive tests for a precise diagnosis. These tests give detailed info about the heart and its blood vessels. They help us see how big any blockages or issues are.
Coronary angiography is a key invasive test to see the coronary arteries. We inject contrast dye into the arteries through a catheter. Then, we use X-ray to image it. This lets us pinpoint and measure blockages accurately.
Key benefits of coronary angiography include:
Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) offers more insights than coronary angiography. We insert a small ultrasound probe into the coronary artery. This lets us look at the artery walls and check the plaque type.
The advantages of IVUS include:
Fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement helps us understand the severity of coronary artery stenosis. We measure the pressure difference across a blockage. This tells us if it’s causing symptoms.
FFR is useful because it:
By using these invasive tests, we get a full picture of a patient’s heart health. We can then create a treatment plan that fits their needs perfectly.
Getting a correct diagnosis is key to managing angina and improving patient care. Healthcare providers use various tests and procedures to accurately diagnose angina. This helps them create personalized treatment plans for each patient.
At Liv Hospital, we focus on giving top-notch care to international patients. We make sure they get the best treatment and outcomes. Our goal is to make a big difference in the lives of those with angina.
With a precise diagnosis, patients can get better treatment for their angina. This leads to better health outcomes and a better quality of life. We aim to provide effective diagnosis and treatment options. This way, we enhance the care experience for our patients.
An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) can show signs of angina. But, it might not catch it every time. This is because symptoms can change during the test.
Yes, an ECG can spot signs of angina. Yet, it’s not perfect. More tests might be needed to be sure.
An echocardiogram might not directly show angina. But, it can find heart disease or damage linked to it.
To diagnose angina, doctors use several steps. They look at your medical history, do a physical exam, and run tests. These include ECG, blood tests, and echocardiograms.
Tests for angina include ECG, blood tests, and echocardiograms. They also do stress tests and advanced imaging like CT angiography and MRI.
An ECG can find signs of angina. But, it’s not always clear. More tests might be needed to confirm it.
An EKG can show signs of angina. But, it depends on several things. Like if you’re feeling symptoms during the test.
Yes, blood tests can find the cause of chest pain. They look for cardiac enzymes and biomarkers like troponin. These show heart damage or disease.
Testing for angina involves many tests. These include ECG, blood tests, echocardiograms, and stress tests. Advanced imaging tests also help doctors diagnose and manage it.
The process starts with a clinical evaluation. This includes looking at your medical history and doing a physical exam. Then, they run various tests to confirm the diagnosis and plan treatment.
European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Angina pectoris: non-invasive methods in the diagnosis and follow-up. https://www.escardio.org/Journals/E-Journal-of-Cardiology-Practice/Volume-15/Angina-pectoris-non-invasive-methods-in-the-diagnosis-and-follow-up
