An ECG (electrocardiogram) is a tracing which records a snapshot of the heart’s electrical activity.
A more prolonged ECG recording or “ambulatory monitoring” can be carried out in order to capture the heart rhythm at the time of symptoms.
An exercise ECG (also called an exercise test) can be used to investigate or provoke symptoms that occur with exertion.
A cardiac ultrasound scan (“echocardiogram”) can be used to assess the heart’s structure and pumping function.
A coronary angiogram is a test to evaluate the heart (coronary) arteries for any narrowings or blockages. This can be done non-invasively or using a CT scan.
A cardiac MRI scan can be used to evaluate the structure and pumping function of the heart, and can also show areas of scarring in the heart muscle. This can also be used to look at the blood supply to the heart muscle – other tests which can do this are a nuclear myocardial perfusion scan and a stress echocardiogram