Nuclear stress tests, CT scans, and some other imaging tests are widely used in diagnosing heart patients, but the radiation exposure from these tests can build up to harmful levels over time. "The majority of patients believe that these tests are harmless; however, they are not," warns Leslie Cho, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Cleveland Clinics Heart Advisor. Several tests diagnose possible heart disease. The choice of which (and how many) tests to perform depends on several things, including a patients risk factors, history of heart problems, current symptoms, and the doctors interpretation of these factors.
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