Nuclear Cardiac Imaging with Cardiolite®/Myoview®
 Understanding Heart Disease
Your heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout your entire body. The coronary arteries supply blood containing oxygen and other nutrients to the heart muscle. However, these arteries can become blocked by the accumulation of fatty substances (called lipids). This blockage is called atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease (CAD). As CAD progresses, the heart muscle may not receive enough blood, especially during times of stress or physical activity. For some people, this will cause chest pain (angina pectoris), breathlessness, and/or fatigue. For others, there may be no symptoms to indicate that blood supply to the heart is not sufficient. However, if CAD goes undetected or untreated, there is the potential for more serious complications to occur, such as a heart attack. But there are risk factors that alert your doctor that you may be at risk for CAD.
Risk Factors for CAD
- Family history
- Overweight
- Lack of physical activity
- Smoking
- Poor diet and excessive intake of alcohol
- Presence of certain conditions (i.e., high blood pressure [hypertension], diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.)
- Hormone status (as women pass through menopause their risk of CAD increases)
- Increasing age
- Race
Reasons Your Doctor May Want to Perform This Test
- If you have chronic chest pain or angina-images provide valuable information as to why you may be experiencing chest pain
- If you have recently experienced a heart attack -images can help your doctor visualize the extent of damage the heart underwent during the attack
- If you are about to undergo surgery - images can help the doctor see if your heart is strong enough to withstand the stresses of a long and/or complicated surgical and anesthetic procedure
Preparation
You may have a light breakfast 2 hours prior to the test. NO CAFFEINE, NICOTINE OR ALCOHOL should be consumed 4 hours prior to the test.
Please wear comfortable, flat, walking shoes. TENNIS OR RUNNING SHOES ARE PREFERRED. You should wear comfortable, loose fitting trousers or slacks.
Your physician may ask you to withhold some of your medicines. Please discuss this with your physician prior to the day of the test.
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PATIENT SERVICES
Bronchoscopy
Carotid Doppler
Cardiac Catheterization
Echocardiogram
Electrocardiogram
Holter
PCI
Pulmonary Function Test
Sleep Study
Stress Test
Pulmonary CPX ·
Standard ·
Stress Echo ·
Nuclear ·
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