There is no specific test for heart failure. Heart failure is usually diagnosed when the person seeks medical help for shortness of breath, tiredness, and/or fluid retention. Heart failure can also sometimes be diagnosed when the person is being tested for other illnesses.

Doctors diagnose heart failure based on three types of information:

Physical examination – the physician will:

• Listen to your heart for abnormal sounds
• Listen to your lungs for the sound of fluid build-up
• Look for swelling in your ankles, feet, legs, and stomach
• Look for swelling in your neck veins

Medical and family history – the physician will ask:

• About your general health
• About specific medical conditions you suffer from and how they are treated
• About your lifestyle, including smoking, diet, and alcohol intake
• If any of your relatives has suffered from heart failure or medical conditions that can cause heart failure
• For you to describe your symptoms in detail, including how long you have had them, how severe they are, how long they last, and what makes them better and worse

Tests – if the physician is unsure about the diagnosis, needs more detailed information about your heart and how well it’s working, or wants to find the underlying cause of your heart failure, he or she may order some of the tests described below.

Tests for heart failure Electrocardiogram (EKG/ECG) Electrodes are placed on your body to record electrical activity in your heart. They are used to diagnose a heart attack or abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), and can detect enlargement of the heart. This test may be done before, during, and after exercise (exercise stress test). Chest X-ray An X-ray takes a picture of your heart and lungs and shows whether your heart is enlarged, if there is fluid on your lungs, or if you have lung disease. BNP test This is a blood test that measures a hormone called BNP (B-type natriuretic peptide); levels of this hormone are raised in people with heart failure. Echocardiogram (Doppler ultrasound) This is a method of visualizing your heart using ultrasound waves; it is used to see the heart beating, the heart’s chambers and valves, to measure the amount of blood pumped out into the body, and to look for blood clots. Angiogram (cardiac catheterization) A long flexible tube (a catheter) is inserted into an artery in your arm or leg and threaded along to the heart; a dye is then injected through the catheter, allowing your heart and coronary arteries to be seen on an X-ray machine.

Additional information