Do you ever think about
what your heart looks like?
Q&A on Cardiac Imaging Testing
C
ardiologists Dr. James
Amato Jr. and Dr. Carlos
Alfonso, and the team at
Magnus Imaging of Englewood
Hospital and Medical Center in
Glen Ridge, think about it all day.
We spoke with Dr. Amato and Dr.
Alfonso about the importance
of cardiac imaging in helping
patients get an accurate diagnosis
and an optimal plan of care for
treating heart disease.
Q What are some of the
reasons patients would need
cardiac imaging?
Dr. Amato: When a doctor suspects
you might have heart disease be-
cause of symptoms such as short-
ness of breath or chest pain, we can
evaluate those symptoms using an
echocardiogram, stress test, nuclear
stress test, and other cardiac imag-
ing exams. Imaging can be used to
assess plaque buildup in the arteries
called atherosclerosis and monitor
patients with a personal or family
history of cardiovascular disease.
Q What’s an echocardiogram
and why is it important?
Dr. Amato: An echocardiogram,
often called an “echo” for short, is a
noninvasive ultrasound test to look
at areas of the heart that are not
functioning normally. Echo is used to
evaluate the heart’s muscle function,
estimate pressures in the heart, and
assess how the valves are working.
It takes about 15 minutes and has
become one of the most valuable
tools for evaluating the heart. For ex-
ample, for patients with heart failure,
an echocardiogram can help guide