When chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, or other symptoms keep you from feeling your best, you want answers. Tower Health uses sophisticated technology to find heart and vascular problems — including screenings that find problems before you notice symptoms. Our experts work as a team to give you fast, accurate results and personal attention right here in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Comprehensive services to find heart disease.

Screening tests can tell you if you’re at risk for heart disease. You can make diet and lifestyle changes to stop heart disease before it starts. Your doctor will tell you which tests are right for you based on your health and medical history. Screening tests include:

  • Blood pressure. High blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, but it doesn't have noticeable symptoms.
  • Blood sugar. This blood test measures the amount of glucose in your blood. High blood sugar can cause diabetes, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. 
  • Body mass index (BMI). This measurement determines if you're at a healthy body weight and composition. A high BMI puts you at risk for stroke and heart disease, such as atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and more. 
  • Cholesterol. A fasting lipoprotein profile is a blood test that measures cholesterol in your blood. High cholesterol raises your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Noninvasive Heart Tests and Imaging

We use a variety of noninvasive tests to find heart problems and develop a treatment plan, including:

  • Calcium scoring. This computed tomography (CT) imaging test examines your arteries for early signs of heart disease. 
  • Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A heart MRI uses magnetic energy to create detailed images of your heart to look for disease. 
  • CT angiography. This detailed X-ray shows blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. 
  • Echocardiogram. This ultrasound test creates live pictures of your heart to show its function. It’s sometimes done while you're exercising (stress echocardiogram). 
  • Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG). This test measures the electrical activity of your heart. 
  • Nuclear heart imaging. This exam uses a safe amount of a radioactive substance to measure heart function and show your heart's pumping ability. This test may also be done during exercise or with medicine to increase your heart rate (stress myocardial perfusion study). 
  • Outpatient heart monitoring. Holter or telemetry monitoring uses a small, wearable device that records your heart activity over a few days or longer. 
  • Stress testing. This test measures your heart and lungs while you exercise, usually on a treadmill. If you can’t exercise, you receive medicine that speeds up your heart rate (dobutamine stress echocardiogram). 
  • Tilt table. This test measures your heart and blood pressure as you lie on a table that tilts at different angles.

Minimally Invasive Heart Tests

Your doctor may use a minimally invasive heart procedure to take a closer look at your heart and surrounding arteries with methods such as:

  • Cardiac catheterization. This procedure inserts a thin, flexible tube into a blood vessel in your wrist or upper thigh that leads to your heart. It can examine heart function and look for narrowed or blocked arteries. Sometimes, your doctor can treat problems during the same procedure. 
  • Coronary angiogram. This cardiac catheterization approach injects dye through the catheter and uses X-rays to show blockages in your heart arteries. 
  • Electrophysiology study. This procedure inserts thin, wire electrodes into a vein in your upper thigh (or neck) to your heart to measure your heart’s electrical signals.
  • Implantable heart monitors. These devices — such as implantable loop recorders — are implanted under the skin of your chest to keep track of your heart function for a few years. 
  • Transesophageal echocardiogram. This approach inserts a tube down your throat to get a closer view of your heart.