Diagnosis of Angina

Health care providers can usually find out if you have angina by listening to you talk about your symptoms and their patterns. They may also order some tests to further evaluate your angina. Tests may include x-rays; an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) at rest, and during and after exercise; a nuclear stress test; and coronary angiography. Variant angina can be diagnosed using a Holter monitor. Holter monitoring gets a non-stop reading of your heart rate and rhythm over a 24-hour period (or longer). You wear a recording device (the Holter monitor), which is connected to small metal disks called electrodes that are placed on your chest. With certain types of monitors, you can push a "record" button to capture a rhythm when you feel the symptoms of angina.