Nuclear Stress Test
Assessment of Chest Pain and Cardiovascular rule
- The test involves injecting radioactive agent, then taking two sets of images of your heart- one while you’re at rest and another after exertion. This is generally a more non-invasive way a physician can diagnose and determine prognosis.
- A nuclear stress test is one of several types of stress tests that may be performs alone or in combination.Compared with an exercise stress test, a nuclear stress test can help better determine your risk of a heart attack or other cardiac event if your doctor knows or suspects that you have cornoary artery disease.
Why it's done
You may need a nuclear stress test if a routine stress test didn’t pinpoint the cause of symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath. A nuclear stress test may also be used to guide your treatment if you’ve been diagnosed with a heart condition and be useful to help establish the right treatment plan for you by determining how much exercise your heart can handle. A nuclear stress test is one of several types of stress tests that may be performed alone or in combination. Compared with an excercise stress test, a nuclear stress test can help better determine your risk of a heart attack or other cardiac event if your doctor knows or suspects that you have coronary artery disease
Diagnose coronary artery disease.
- Your coronary arteries are the major blood vessels that supply your heart with blood, oxygen and nutrients. Coronary artery disease develops when these arteries become damaged or diseased – usually due to a buildup of deposits containing cholesterol and other substances (plaques.) If you have symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath, a nuclear stress test can help determine if you have coronary artery disease and how severe the condition is
Images of a Nuclear Stress Test
Radioactive agent is injected, then an imaging machine creates pictures showing the blood flow to your heart within the coronary arteries. The test measurements are taken showing blood flow while at rest and after exertion. The images show areas with poor blood flow or damage in your heart.