Abnormal Nuclear Stress Test

[1Mastro]

I am 49 yrs old, a little overweight by I do exercise 55-60 minutes, 3x per week at the gym.  I also Diabetic.  A while back I was not eating right & was getting weird chest pains.  About 5 yrs ago I had a catherization done due to the chest pains I used to get back then.  The results were fine.  I wasn't clogged at all.  Ok.  Now since I recently began getting the chest pains again, my new cardiologist had me go through an ecogram, ekg, stress test on the threadmill & nuclear test plus he had the arteries on my legs checked.  Everything came out fine except, per my doctor, the nuclear stress test.  He indicates that my heart is abnormal & he wants to do another catherization done ASAP & to see if I need a stent put in.  Just 18 days ago, this is after I had the nuclear stress test, I began eating healthy & got rid of all the bad foods.  Since I began eating healthy, I no longer have chest pain.  When I work out, I don't run out of air or get any shortness of breath nor chest pains.  I feel this doctor was very quick to rush me into the O.R.   Why would I have an abnormal heart and yet be able to workout strenuously w/o a problem?  I'm going for a second opinion.  Something tells me this doctor is looking to get his Visa paid.  Pls help.  Ruth

[erijon]

Don't stick your head in the sand and hide. If your Nuclear stress test showed a problem that is serious enough for the Cardiologist to want a cath to see if he needs to place a stent, GO DO IT. You can have CAD and still have no symptoms. Without seeing the report, if he is looking to see if he needs to place a stent, your test most likely shows an area of your heart which was not getting the proper flow of blood to the heart muscle. You may be getting enough not to cause symptoms now, but that can change quickly.

Also, I think you are passing judgement on your doctor too quickly. I don't think there are many out there that would push for a procedure with some risk and take a chance of damaging their insurance and medical standing just to pay their Visa bill, have some faith or find another doctor if that is how you really feel.

I would follow your Cardiologist's advice, it's not worth taking the risk.

Jon