Diagnostic Testing

At NYMA we offer state of the art testing to diagnose various types of heart disease. Our tests are performed by experienced, university trained technicians and read by our cardiologists.

Echocardiography

Echocardiography is a painless test that uses sound waves to create images of your heart. It provides your doctor with information about the size and shape of your heart and how well your heart’s chambers and valves are working. During a standard echocardiography, the doctor or sonographer will move a wand-like device called a transducer around on your chest to get images of your heart.

Carotid Duplex & Carotid IMT Testing

This is similar to an echocardiogram in that it is a sonogram that uses the same wand-like device to measure blood flow in the carotid artery (the artery that supplies blood to the brain). It can be used to see if you are at risk for a stroke, and can also see if you have any evidence of plaque build-up, even at a very early stage.

Holter/Event Monitoring

Holter and event monitors are medical devices that record the heart’s electrical activity. Doctors most often use these monitors to diagnose arrhythmias. Holter and event monitors also are used to detect silent myocardial ischemia. In this condition, not enough oxygen-rich blood reaches the heart muscle. “Silent” means that no symptoms occur.

Stress Tests

A stress test helps show whether enough blood flows to your heart when it’s working hard. Doctors usually use stress testing to help them diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD) or to see how serious this disease is in those who are known to have it.

Standard exercise stress tests use ECGs (electrocardiograms) and breathing and blood pressure monitoring to assess blood flow in the heart. Imaging stress tests, such as those that use echocardiography or radioactive dyes show how well blood is flowing in heart muscle. Imaging stress tests tend to be more accurate than standard exercise tests.

Stress Tests We Use

• ECG treadmill tests (without imaging)
• Stress Echocardiography (with echocardiographic imaging)

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

The optimal management of hypertension often requires detailed repeated measurements in the patient’s home environment both during the day and at nighttime.  We can meet this need with a small wearable device that records blood pressure over a 24 hour period.