Are there any tests to check the heart?
Patient: I had a high on a c-reactive protein test that came with a group of tests. This was last summer.  Not concerned about my heart till I had a strange shimmer in my heart last night and this morning. Is there more blood tests or other test to check my heart or should I be concerned at all? My father had a heart attack about my age. Doctor: Hello. Thank your for contacting HCM. I carefully read and understood your concerns. The C-reactive protein (CRP) is an established indicator of coronary artery disease risk. People who are higher on CRP have a greater risk for an eventual cardiac event than people who have in within normal ranges. It is, in common words, an indicator of the presence of inflammation within the atherosclerotic plaque (fat build-up in coronary arteries). Other test that can show this phenomenon, although not specific, is a recent discovered factor that is linked with this kind of inflammation - the red blood cell distribution width (RDW). Also, I recommend you to check your blood levels of total cholesterol, LDL fraction and triglycerides.Chest pain, indicative of coronary heart disease - angina, is more like a tenderness, heaviness on the midden part of the chest, it is triggered by physical activity (although it can happen while resting), radiates to the both sides of chest, jaw, left shoulder and left arm. According to your characteristics, you have a positive familial history for cardiac events. Do you smoke? What is your age? Besides blood test, I would recommend you to have a full cardiac check-up with an EKG, echocardiogram and a cardiac stress test.Keep in mind that a series of changes in diet and lifestyle will help improve your risk factors for cardiac disease, such as a diet rich in fibres, poor in salt and a regular, 60 minutes, physical activity a day.I hope I was helpful. Feel free to contact me again. Good day.