Bring a list of prepared questions to your or your child's next doctor's appointment to help you discuss an angiogram/cardiac catheterization procedure.
Angiograms are generally safe, but some risks include bleeding; infection; irregular heartbeat; and even a heart attack, stroke, and death, although uncommon.
Results of an angiogram/cardiac catheterization, which may show anything from mild plaque buildup to serious blockages in the arteries, guide the treatment.
Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is an irregular heartbeat caused by an abnormal heart rhythm that makes the upper heart chambers (the atria) quiver, or fibrillate.
Carotid artery disease occurs when the carotid arteries in the neck become narrowed and blocked due to plaque, which could eventually lead to a stroke.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle become narrowed and hardened due to plaque buildup.
Heart failure is when the heart muscle cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for oxygen and nutrients that are delivered by the bloodstream.
An ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a test that determines if you likely have peripheral artery disease (PAD), or blockages in the arteries leading to your legs.
Your doctor takes your blood pressure to measure the force that blood moves through your artery walls. Too much force can lead to cardiovascular disease.
A cardiac biomarker blood test is a type of blood test and one way to assess whether a person is currently experiencing or recently had a heart attack.