Question 1

can a regular echocardiogram detect atherosclerosis?

Accepted Answer

No: A standard echocardiogram (echo) does not evaluate atherosclerosis, although if there has been a heart attack and heart muscle damage the effects may be able to be visualized. A test like a stress test (with or without myocardial perfusion imaging), coronary ct/mri and cardiac catheterization are often employed to detect atherosclerosis.A stress echo is designed to evaluate for the presence of cad.

Question 2

is it possible to find atherosclerosis through echocardiogram?

Accepted Answer

Indirectly: An echo shows how the heart looks structurally and how it functions mechanically.  Indirectly this can shed light on the likelihood of atherosclerosis by showing damage to the heart  such as after an mi (affecting structure and function).  A functional imaging study (stress echocardiogram) can test for the presence of significant coronary artery disease.

Question 3

if my cholesterol, and blood sugars and echocardiogram all are looking good, could i still have atherosclerosis? any tests to determine if i do?

Accepted Answer

Yes and yes.: Almost all of us have some degree of hardening of the arteries, more as we age. If you have no symptoms, you probably need no further testing. Last year a friend was sold a "coronary calcium score" test. It was borderline high so he had a catherization which showed insignificant disease--but he almost died from a complication. You need tests when you have symptoms.

Question 4

can an echocardiogram or a chest cray see if there are any blocked arteries?

Accepted Answer

No : Unfortunately not.  An invasive or noninvasive coronary angiogram would show this.

Question 5

what does an echocardiogram detect? i know its for diagnosing heart disease, but what kind? can it tell if i have blocked arteries or damage from a heart attack?

Accepted Answer

An : An echocardiogram is a procedure that uses high frequency ultrasound waves to evaluate your heart.Typically it will assess:
â€¢ the size of your heart: the size of the pumping chambers, as well as the thickness of the heart muscle
â€¢ pumping strength: how well is your heart pumping blood
â€¢ valve problems: an echocardiogram can determine whether your valves leak or if they do
not open properly
â€¢ problems inside the chamber of the heart: this test can help determine if you have a blood clot or tumor inside the chambers of your heart
â€¢ the walls between the different chambers of the heart (looking for holes in the walls)

it can show if you have had a prior heart attack but cannot look directly at the arteries for blockage. A stress test, either a stress echocardiogram or a nuclear stress test, will show you if you have significantly (typically >70%) blockage and can confirm evidence of old heart attack.

Question 6

i had a positive stress echocardiogram   so they told me it reflected angina but my angiogram shows no blocked arteries what does it mean?

Accepted Answer

It means : You don't have large coronary artery disease. But the the smaller arteries not seen on angio could be ischemic and may explain your system. Or your heart condition is not not from an ischemic cause which would also explain the normal angio and abnormal echo.

Question 7

had a clear echocardiogram 3 years ago, no blocked arteries. could i have blocked my arteries enough to have a heart attack now?

Accepted Answer

Was the: Echo study done with or without EXERCISE ? If it was a "stress echo" that was negative , congrats, the chances of signicant "PREMATURE" coronary disease 3 years later is quite small...A "plain" echo is less useful in detecting coronary insufficiency and is done for STRUCTURAL reasons (Heart valves etc) It can pick up OLD cardiac injuries.
I hope this helps!
Dr Z

Question 8

normal echocardiogram, normal ekg, normal cholesterol levels, calcium cardiac ct ( no contrast) showed no calcium deposits, normal coratid artery ultrasound. what are chances of my having blocked arteries ( cad)?

Accepted Answer

: You are doing well, very little chance for CAD with these results, please continue with good diet and regular exercise and absolutely no tobacco. I wonder why you had these tests done but no exercise stress test if these expensive work-up was done for questionable CAD.

Question 9

can a regular echocardiogram detect an aortic dissection coming?

Accepted Answer

I doubt it: 2d echo can see the anatomy and function of the heart very well.  It can measure the size of the proximal aorta and notice plaque and calcium along the aorta as well. Unless there is dissection known or actively occurring, i don't think echo can predict one coming.

Question 10

can hypertrophic cardiomyopathy be missed during an echocardiogram? (a regular echo, done while lying down.)

Accepted Answer

HCM: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is not likely to be missed on routine echo but missing it is not impossible.

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Doctor answers about:

Regular echocardiogram detect atherosclerosis

A member asked:

Can a regular echocardiogram detect atherosclerosis?

A member asked:

Is it possible to find atherosclerosis through echocardiogram?

A member asked:

If my cholesterol, and blood sugars and echocardiogram all are looking good, could i still have atherosclerosis? any tests to determine if i do?

A member asked:

Can an echocardiogram or a chest cray see if there are any blocked arteries?

A member asked:

What does an echocardiogram detect? i know its for diagnosing heart disease, but what kind? can it tell if i have blocked arteries or damage from a heart attack?

A member asked:

I had a positive stress echocardiogram so they told me it reflected angina but my angiogram shows no blocked arteries what does it mean?

A member asked:

Had a clear echocardiogram 3 years ago, no blocked arteries. could i have blocked my arteries enough to have a heart attack now?

A member asked:

Normal echocardiogram, normal ekg, normal cholesterol levels, calcium cardiac ct ( no contrast) showed no calcium deposits, normal coratid artery ultrasound. what are chances of my having blocked arteries ( cad)?

A member asked:

Can a regular echocardiogram detect an aortic dissection coming?

A member asked:

Can hypertrophic cardiomyopathy be missed during an echocardiogram? (a regular echo, done while lying down.)

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