Advanced Heart Disease Center

Symptoms

• Weight gain of more than 2 pounds overnight or 5 pounds in a week
• Shortness of breath after climbing a flight of stairs or getting dressed
• Difficulty breathing when lying down
• Cough
• Weakness or tiredness
• Swelling in your ankles or legs
• Loss of appetite
• Belly pain and fullness
  
  (Note: All of these symptoms are common to many medical conditions and may not indicate heart failure. If you have any concerns, consult your doctor.)

Tests

Our program begins with careful assessment by specialized cardiologists and nurses.  We have the capability to visualize the heart muscle, evaluate its pumping action, and detect thickness of the cardiac walls with a full range of non-invasive tests.

Patients of our Program receive a comprehensive evaluation of their condition that can include:

• Family and medical history;
• Careful clinical assessment including patient goals for treatment;
• Chest x-ray, Electrocardiogram ("EKG" or "ECG"), or Blood Tests;
• Cardiopulmonary testing to determine the body's capacity to exercise ("stress test ");
• Sophisticated CT scan, Echo, MRI scan, or Positron Emission Tomography ("PET" scan);
• For some patients, we may need to perform a more invasive test, such as a biopsy or catheterization of the heart and arteries.  When this is necessary, our patients can be assured that the most highly qualified physicians in this specialized area are performing these tests.