How Is CAD Diagnosed?
Your doctor will diagnose CAD based on your symptoms, your medical and family history, your risk factors, and the results from tests and procedures.
CAD symptoms can vary, depending on gender. For instance, problems with the small arteries of the heart (coronary microvascular disease) is more common in women than men.
If you know or suspect you have CAD risk factors, talk with your doctor. He or she may recommend diagnostic tests, even if you do not have symptoms. Here are the most common tests:
- Blood tests
- Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)
- Coronary calcium scan
- Stress tests
- Cardiac MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
- Cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) scanning
- Coronary angiography
- Coronary computed tomographic angiography
For a detailed discussion of cardiac testing, see:
Let us work with you to help you understand the diagnostic tests your doctor has ordered for you.
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Source: From Coronary Heart Disease, published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institue, 2019
