Research Area: Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Diseases

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Diagnosing heart and cardiovascular disease is uniquely challenging, but recent advances have allowed physicians to obtain information about the working heart that is invaluable to the care of heart patients.

Because the heart is constantly in motion, specialized imaging techniques must be used to accurately image the heart and analyze the characteristics of its motion. Analyzing blood flow changes, and heart and large blood vessel pressures, such as occurs in atherosclerosis, allows physicians to diagnose several diseases. Analyzing changes in the metabolic function of heart and coronary blood vessels provides further insights into disease processes.

Finally, the heart is an organ activated by electrical impulses which control its rate and rhythm. Several rhythm diseases are treated by analyzing these electrical patterns. Because of the wide range of abnormalities that may occur in the heart, there are many different diagnostic tests available to physicians.

Many UW Cardiovascular Research Center members are involved in areas related to the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. Please refer to our listing of center members by research interest.