General Practitioners

• Electrocardiogram
  MTWA measures beat-to-beat variations in the amplitude (height) of the T-wave portion of the heartbeat. These variations can identify patients who are at risk of developing ventricular arrhythmia that could lead to sudden cardiac arrest. During this test, you will walk on a treadmill for a short time while an electrocardiogram (EKG) records your heart rate and rhythm. Patients found to be at high risk often receive an implantable defibrillator to stop any arrhythmias that could develop. This test is typically used for patients who have had myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) or other heart damage.

Radiologist

• Ultrasound
  Also called radionuclide angiography or wall motion study, this test helps the doctor evaluate the pumping function (ejection fraction) of your heart ventricles: the lower chambers on either side of the heart that pump blood into the arteries. MUGA uses three-dimensional ultrasound to provide a movie-like image of the beating heart. It also calculates the amount of blood pumped during each heartbeat so that the strength of the heart muscle can be assessed.