Heart and Vascular Diagnostic Tests

If you or a loved one experience symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, heart murmurs or lightheadedness, PeaceHealth doctors use a range of tests and imaging exams to understand what's causing the symptoms. Diagnostic imaging tests are also used to guide minimally invasive procedures or learn how you’re responding to treatment.
If your doctor suspects you may have heart or vascular disease, PeaceHealth offers sophisticated technology to help discover conditions at the earliest stage. Early detection may help prevent a heart attack or the need for surgery. That’s why we offer heart screenings, including teen heart screenings, that can find heart defects or other problems.
Get advanced tests and imaging, delivered by a trained, experienced care team.
Comprehensive services and convenience
PeaceHealth provides comprehensive heart and vascular testing in central locations. Our goal is to be convenient, accurate and timely with your results.
Teen heart screenings
Heart problems found early in young adults, can often be managed and treated to prevent sudden cardiac arrest. PeaceHealth offers free heart screenings for teens to help protect them against hidden heart disease.
Top-quality diagnostic testing
PeaceHealth uses the latest technology for heart and vascular imaging. We’ve earned accreditation by the American College of Radiology for CT, MRI, and ultrasound. Trained, experienced imaging technologists offer safe care, focused on you.
Accreditation means quality
PeaceHealth's vascular lab, Echocardiology lab and the Nuclear Medicine department are all accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission. This means you can expect a high level of patient satisfaction.
Treatments Provided
- Advanced heart imaging
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3D pictures of your heart and arteries that you doctor can view using nuclear medicine, CTs and MRIs. These include CT angiograms (CTA) and magnetic resonance angiograms (MRA).
- Ankle-brachial index test
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A blood pressure cuff is used to measure blood pressure in your arms, legs and feet to see if you have peripheral artery disease.
- Blood pressure monitoring
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A monitor, worn on your belt, to measure your blood pressure over 24 hours using a blood pressure cuff.
- Cardiac catheterization
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A minimally invasive procedure, where your doctor makes a small incision (cut) in your upper thigh or arm and inserts a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) into a large blood vessel that leads to your heart. Your doctor will then evaluate blood flow in and around your heart to determine if you have any heart disease.
- Cardiac stress test
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This test monitors your heart while you’re walking on a treadmill. If you can’t exercise, you’ll be given medicine to raise your heart rate instead.
- Echocardiogram
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An echocardiogram uses ultrasound (sound waves) from a wand-like device called a transducer. A sonographer glides it across your chest to examine your heart after a heart attack or to check for a heart murmur.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)
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An EKG is a test to evaluate your heartbeat and diagnose heart arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats). Your doctor places stickers with tiny electrodes on your chest to measure your heart’s electrical activity.
- Electrophysiology study (EPS)
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An EPS maps how electrical signals travel through your heart and diagnoses arrhythmias. Using catheters (small tubes), it measures activity in different parts of your heart; delivers medicine to alter electrical activity; or stimulates or slows down your heartbeat. It’s also used to guide catheter ablation.
- Implantable loop recorder
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If a wearable heart monitor doesn’t show what's causing symptoms such as fainting or an occasional irregular heartbeat, an implantable loop recorder can record your heart activity for up to three years. It’s inserted under the skin of your chest through a tiny incision. It can be done in your doctor’s office, using a local anesthetic (painkiller).
- Nuclear cardiac testing
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These tests use a small amount of a radioactive substance (tracer) and a camera to see how much blood your heart muscle receives (blood flow) and pumps out with each heartbeat. A nuclear imaging test can also be performed as a stress test, called myocardial perfusion, to assess your heart during exercise.
- Tilt table testing
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If you often faint or feel lightheaded, your doctor may use this test to find out what's causing your symptoms. You’ll lie on a table that will be slowly tilted upward. As you change position, your blood pressure and heart rate are checked. The test is repeated after you’re given medicine to stimulate your heart and your doctor will measure the response and compare it to the rates from the first test.
- Transesophageal echocardiogram
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A probe that’s guided down your throat to create a video of your heart.
- Vascular ultrasound
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A test to discover any narrowing, blockages or abnormalities in your veins and arteries. Your doctor may use this test to diagnose peripheral artery disease or deep vein thrombosis.
- Wearable heart monitors
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Arrhythmias don’t happen all the time, so doctors use external heart-monitoring devices to capture irregular heartbeats when they occur. We provide these monitors, known as Holter monitors, to record your heartbeat for a day or two. Event monitors are similar and are used to measure your heartbeat for three or four weeks.
All Heart and Vascular Diagnostic Tests Locations

Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284

Springfield, OR 97477

Florence, OR 97439

Vancouver, WA 98664


Bellingham, WA 98225



Longview, WA 98632

Longview, WA 98632
