Electrocardiogram (ECG)

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a simple test that can be used to check your heart's rhythm and electrical activity. Sensors attached to the skin are used to detect the electrical signals produced by your heart each time it beats.

These signals are recorded by a machine and are looked at by a doctor to see if they're unusual. An ECG may be requested by a heart specialist (cardiologist) or any doctor who thinks you might have a problem with your heart, including your GP. The test can be carried out by a specially trained healthcare professional at a hospital, a clinic or at your GP surgery.

Echo Cardiography

An echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. This common test allows your doctor to see your heart beating and pumping blood. Your doctor can use the images from an echocardiogram to identify heart disease. Depending on what information your doctor needs, you may have one of several types of echocardiograms. Each type of echocardiogram involves few, if any, risks

Your doctor may suggest an echocardiogram to:

• Check for problems with the valves or chambers of your heart
• Check if heart problems are the cause of symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain
• Detect congenital heart defects before birth (fetal echocardiogram)

The type of echocardiogram you have depends on the information your doctor needs.

Holter Recording

A Holter monitor is a small, wearable device that keeps track of your heart rhythm. Your doctor may want you to wear a Holter monitor for one to two days. During that time, the device records all of your heartbeats.

A Holter monitor test may be done if a traditional electrocardiogram (ECG) doesn't give your doctor enough information about your heart's condition.

Your doctor uses information captured on the Holter monitor to figure out if you have a heart rhythm problem. If standard Holter monitoring doesn't capture your irregular heartbeat, your doctor may suggest a longer-term monitor, which can record your heartbeat over several weeks.

Some personal devices, such as smartwatches, offer electrocardiogram monitoring. Ask your doctor if this is an option for you

Blood tests for heart disease

Your blood may offer many clues about your heart health. For example, high levels of "bad" cholesterol in your blood can be a sign that you're at increased risk of having a heart attack. And other substances in your blood can help your health care provider determine if you have heart failure or are at risk of developing fatty deposits (plaques) in your arteries (atherosclerosis).

It's important to remember that one blood test alone doesn't determine the risk of heart disease. The most important risk factors for heart disease are smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes

Pharmacy

The pharmacist may play a relevant role in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, mainly through patient education and counselling, drug safety management, medication review, monitoring and reconciliation, detection and control of specific cardiovascular risk factors (eg, blood pressure, blood glucose, serum lipids) and clinical outcomes. Systematic reviews of randomised controlled and observational studies have documented an improved control of hypertension, dyslipidaemia or diabetes, smoking cessation and reduced hospitalisation in patients with heart failure, following a pharmacist’s intervention. Limited proof for effectiveness is available for humanistic (patient satisfaction, adherence and knowledge) and economic outcomes. A multidisciplinary approach, including medical input plus a pharmacist, specialist nurse or both, and a greater involvement of community rather than hospital pharmacists, seems to represent the most efficient and modern healthcare delivery model. However, further well-designed research is demanded in order to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the impact of pharmacist’s interventions on cardiovascular disease and to identify specific areas of impact of collaborative practice. Such research should particularly focus on the demonstration of a sensitivity to community pharmacist’s intervention. Since pharmacy services are easily accessible and widely distributed in the community setting, a maximum benefit should be expected from interventions provided in this context.