In brief
"I want to have my heart checked" is something we hear at appointments all the time, and the right answer is not a list of procedures but a sequence. Here the order matters more than the volume.
Cardiovascular risk is calculated from information that requires no equipment: age, sex, blood pressure, smoking, cholesterol level, diabetes, and a family history of early cardiac events. This information alone determines whether you need a minimal set of tests or an extended one. An assessment that starts with procedures rather than with risk assessment usually turns out to be both excessive and incomplete.
An electrocardiogram records the heart's electrical activity at the moment of recording. It is good at detecting rhythm and conduction disturbances present at that moment, signs of a previous heart attack, and hypertrophy. What it does not do: a normal resting ECG does not rule out significant narrowing of the coronary arteries. A person with angina can have a completely normal resting trace, and this is the most common misunderstanding.
Performed in the clinic for a fast or slow heart rate, suspected arrhythmia, fainting and near-fainting episodes. Holter monitoring is AED 1,100.
Ultrasound of the heart shows its structure and function: chamber size, wall thickness, the condition of the valves, and ejection fraction — that is, the pumping function. It is the main method when heart failure or valve disease is suspected, and after previous illnesses. At GMS echocardiography is AED 1,100 for adults and children aged 5 and over, and AED 900 for children under 5.
When there are symptoms on exertion or the calculated risk is high. A separate group of studies is duplex vascular scanning: the extracranial brachiocephalic arteries — the neck vessels (AED 1,100), lower limb arteries (AED 1,100), renal arteries (AED 1,300), the abdominal aorta (AED 900) and head vessels (AED 1,100). They are ordered when indicated, not as part of a universal package.
In the clinic we also perform a dedicated study to detect plaques in the arteries of several vascular territories — carotid, femoral and popliteal — followed by a cardiovascular risk assessment: focused arterial ultrasound, AED 700.
Stress tests and CT coronary angiography are carried out after a cardiologist's consultation and assessment of the pre-test probability. We provide referrals for these studies.
Buy the biggest test package without a consultation. Screening a healthy person with no risk factors with a large set of tests does not extend life, but it does turn up incidental abnormalities that lead to a cascade of further investigations. The sensible strategy is regular risk assessment and targeted testing.
At GMS a cardiologist consultation is AED 750. ECG, echocardiography and vascular ultrasound are performed in the clinic, and their results are discussed at the appointment. Samples for lab tests are taken in the clinic, and once the results are ready we go over them at a free follow-up visit. For planned assessment there are check-up programmes.
First a cardiologist consultation and a risk calculation, then as indicated: ECG, echocardiography, Holter monitoring, lab tests (lipid profile, glucose and HbA1c, kidney function, NT-proBNP) and, with symptoms on exertion or high calculated risk, stress tests and duplex vascular scanning.
An ECG records the heart’s electrical activity at the moment of recording: rhythm and conduction disturbances, signs of a previous heart attack, hypertrophy. A normal resting ECG does not rule out significant narrowing of the coronary arteries — a person with angina can have a completely normal resting trace.
A cardiologist consultation is AED 750; ECG, echocardiography (AED 1,100; AED 900 for children under 5), Holter monitoring (AED 1,100) and vascular ultrasound are performed in the clinic. Samples for lab tests are taken in the clinic and the results discussed at a free follow-up visit. Stress tests and CT coronary angiography are by referral.
This article is for information only and does not replace a consultation. If you have symptoms, see a doctor.
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