I had an echocardiogram done....do they show whether or not your at risk for a heart attack...i know they can tell whether you've had one already but how about your risk for one?
Echo cardiograms will show whether or not certain risks are present, but not all. After having an echo cardiogram you will know if you have clogged arteries, rhythm problems (assuming they happen during the test), an enlarged heart and lots of other stuff that can indicate a higher risk for heart attack.
An echo cardiogram should not be the only test done if you're worried about your risk for heart attack. I was born with serious heart problems, and I routinely have an echo cardiogram, blood work, an exam by a cardiologist, and every now and then I have a chest xray and an MRI done.
Just an echo alone won't definitively say anything. I just have a benign arrhythmia - maybe even just athlete's heart, since I'm a figure skater - and even *I* went through a ton of tests! I had one stress test on the treadmill, one on the stationary bike, an MRI, bloodwork, two echoes, an x-ray, and a couple of EKG's. Sheesh! I'd say that you'd have to have at least a couple more tests to see if you are at risk.
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Echo cardiograms will show whether or not certain risks are present, but not all. After having an echo cardiogram you will know if you have clogged arteries, rhythm problems (assuming they happen during the test), an enlarged heart and lots of other stuff that can indicate a higher risk for heart attack.
An echo cardiogram should not be the only test done if you're worried about your risk for heart attack. I was born with serious heart problems, and I routinely have an echo cardiogram, blood work, an exam by a cardiologist, and every now and then I have a chest xray and an MRI done.
Just an echo alone won't definitively say anything. I just have a benign arrhythmia - maybe even just athlete's heart, since I'm a figure skater - and even *I* went through a ton of tests! I had one stress test on the treadmill, one on the stationary bike, an MRI, bloodwork, two echoes, an x-ray, and a couple of EKG's. Sheesh! I'd say that you'd have to have at least a couple more tests to see if you are at risk.
No, they can't tell you about risk. They can tell that you had a heart attack by picking up abnormalities in the motion of the walls of the heart.
No they look at the structure of the heart
I've had one, they just check if you have problems with your heart valves.