Diagnostics & Testing

Advanced Lipid Profile

Your Mount Sinai cardiologist may order a lipid profile to better determine your risk for coronary heart disease. An advanced lipid profile test measures your cholesterol levels – both good and bad cholesterol – in the blood and is a good indicator of whether someone may have a blockage of blood vessels or hardening of the arteries, which increase the overall risk of heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol is a lipid (or fat) that is carried through the heart and body in the bloodstream and is either produced by the liver or consumed through food. Your cholesterol level is determined by a combination of genetics and diet, and having an unhealthy level can put you at risk for heart disease, stroke, and other diseases.

A standard cholesterol test measures your LDL level (or “bad” cholesterol), HDL level (or “good” cholesterol), triglycerides, and total cholesterol. An advanced lipid profile, however, analyzes the makeup of LDL and HDL cholesterol to measure the subtypes of each kind. While a standard cholesterol test can help gauge your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, an advanced lipid profile test can improve the accuracy of the test from around 40 percent to around 90 percent.

Ankle Brachial Index (ABI)

ABI compares blood pressure at the ankle to blood pressure in the arm, and at the Mount Sinai Heart Institute, we use the ABI to diagnose Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). When someone’s blood pressure in the legs is less than 90% of the blood pressure measured in the arms, it can indicate the vessels in the legs are blocked, which means they may have PAD.

Cardiac Calcium Scoring

A cardiac calcium score test, also known as a heart scan, measures the amount of plaque buildup in the coronary arteries. Calcium buildup found in the arteries is a sign of coronary heart disease. At Mount Sinai, we perform a CT scan, which uses computers and a rotating machine to take X-ray images of the body from different angles to create a three-dimensional look at your heart and the arteries in the heart. If your Mount Sinai physician detects large amounts of plaque, further testing, including an angiography, may be necessary.

Echo Stress Test

The echo stress test is a supplement to the routine exercise cardiac stress test. During stress echocardiography, sound waves (ultrasound) are used to produce images of the heart at rest and at the peak of exercise.

EKG (Electrocardiography)

An EKG, which is shorthand for electrocardiography, is a commonly used heart test that primarily provides your Mount Sinai cardiovascular specialist with information about the heart’s rhythms. It is often used in combination with an echocardiogram. In an EKG, we place sticky pads on the chest, which leads to the EKG machine. These leads transmit information about how the heart is beating, based on its electrical activity. The lines created from one beat to the next create a pattern that helps your Mount Sinai doctor easily identify if something may be wrong with your heartbeat or detect signs of blockages or of a heart attack.

Exercise Stress Test

While it may sound stressful, a cardiac stress test is a non-invasive test to show your Mount Sinai cardiac care team how your heart is working during physical activity. This test, also called a treadmill test or exercise test, is performed while you’re walking on a treadmill or pedaling on an exercise bicycle. During the test, you’ll be connected to an electrocardiogram, or ECG, which monitors your heart rhythm. At Mount Sinai, we also measure your blood pressure during a stress test to get a better picture of the impact physical activity has on your heart and circulatory system.

Holter Monitor

The Holter monitor is a small, portable electrocardiogram (ECG) machine. The device is worn in a pouch around the neck or waist, and it keeps a record of the patient’s heart rhythm, typically over a 24-hour period. Your Mount Sinai cardiovascular expert will usually ask you to keep a diary that records your activity during the 24-hour period, along with any symptoms you feel, such as chest pain, fatigue, dizziness, or palpitations. Then, using the results from the monitor, along with your diary, we’re able to better understand the impact your activity has on your heart.

Nuclear Stress Test

At Mount Sinai, we use nuclear stress tests to get a more thorough picture of your heart and vessels than can be seen during a regular exercise stress test. During a nuclear stress test, we measure blood flow to the heart muscle at rest and during stress by having you perform activity, like walking on a treadmill. Prior to the test, we’ll inject a radioactive tracer that shows up on certain types of advanced imaging devices that we use at Mount Sinai, including position emission tomography (PET) and single photo emission computed tomography (SPECT). These devices take pictures of your heart that give us a detailed view of how your heart looks during the stress of physical exertion.