Hearing that you need a nuclear cardiac stress test can be a bit intimidating. While its name may sound scary, it’s a common diagnostic procedure that can give your cardiologist a wealth of information about your heart. In observance of American Heart Month, here’s why this test is so important and how it can help save your life.
Let’s start with the basics. What is nuclear medicine? It uses small, harmless amounts of radioactive material, called radiotracers, to diagnose and treat various diseases. The radiotracers circulate through your heart, emitting tiny signals to provide a clear radiographic image of your heart and surrounding blood vessels at rest and under exertion, or “stress,” hence the name “stress test.”
Your cardiologist will review these before-and-after images to see how blood flows through your heart. This comparison will provide needed information to identify any heart damage or see if your heart is functioning properly.
As the old adage goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Early detection can help prevent more serious heart conditions.
Don’t wait until you have chest pain. Contact your doctor if you become winded, short of breath, or nauseous during routine activities or exercise; and / or have chest pain, or angina, that becomes more frequent and severe.
Diabetes, a history of smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, and a previous heart attack, angioplasty or bypass, are all risk factors for heart disease.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with someone suffering a heart attack every 40 seconds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (October 2024). Living a healthy lifestyle, paying attention to your body, communicating with your doctor, and monitoring your heart through nuclear cardiac testing, if prescribed, can help prevent or lower your risk for more serious heart disease.