An electrocardiogram, or EKG, examines the electrical pulses of your heartbeat and will call out any irregularities. Before your EKG, small electrodes will be attached to certain parts of the body. Even though you won’t feel anything, theses electrodes will detect the electrical pulses of your heart.

Stress testing examines how your heart functions during exercise. Because your body needs more oxygen-rich blood circulating during exercise, this is a useful way to examine how your heart performs overall. The majority of stress tests include using a treadmill or stationary bike to raise your heart beat.

An echocardiogram takes a detailed picture of your heart using sound waves. This is done with a small probe that is pressed against your chest to create the picture.

A chest x ray takes pictures of your heart using electromagnetic waves. This is done with an x ray machine and is painless.

A blood test will reveal any abnormalities in the blood, such as a high level of fat, cholesterol, proteins or sugar. Some of these levels, if high, are risk factors for coronary artery disease.

An angiogram uses a special type of dye (that is swallowed) and camera that, during an x-ray, takes pictures of the blood flow in your arteries to determine if coronary artery disease (or narrowed or blocked artery) is present. This is a catheter-based procedure.