The doctor may choose to run an ECG or electrocardiogram, a stress test, and an echocardiogram. The machine can detect the number of electrical signals traveling through the heart, as well as previous heart attacks. The test is done over a 24-hour period as the patient goes about his or her normal daily routine. A stress test uses exercise equipment. The doctor asks the patient to walk on a treadmill and monitors their heart rate during the exercise. An echocardiogram produces pictures of the heart in real time, helping the physician find abnormalities in the way the heart is pumping.

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