Confused stress test result

[Buckeyegirl]

I'm a 40 year old female who had a stress test three weeks ago. The cardiologist said the results showed that they were abnormal. He said that he showed a possible blockage. However, he is going to take the "wait and see approach". He did preface this by saying that he was nervous that if I walked out of his office and had a heart attack and died he would be scared that my family would sue him (by the way he's never met any of my family member), and that he couldn't take that risk because he has a family to raise and didn't want to lose his medical license. However, he thinks the stress test is showing this blockage because I am large chested, and it is reading as a blockage. Trust me I'm not that large chested. Anyway....he said if my chest pains continue to bother me then it would be up to me if I wanted a heart cath done or not, but he didn't think it was necessary because I had a stress test in 2011 that was fine and a heart cath in 2008 that was normal and he said blockage don't happen that quickly. I'm nervous because heart disease runs on both sides I my family and my dad died of a heart attack in 2005. Any suggestions on what I should do?

[ed34]

I think your cardiologist is the one confused. A blockage cannot form between 2008-2014? which is 6 years. That is pure nonsense. I've had a blockage go from zero to 99% in less than a year and I know other patients who have experienced this too. For a lower risk alternative to a cath, and to confirm things one way or the other, I would ask for a nuclear scan. This shows two images. The first shows how good the blood supply is to your heart when resting, the other when the heart is working harder. It will reveal any problems with the blood getting through. As for waiting to see, I think your cardiologist must be deluded. What happens if there is a blockage, you form a clot, then die from it? Will he just say oops?

[Buckeyegirl]

I'm so confused. I have an appointment with my primary doctor on April 28th to hopefully get some direction.

[achillea]

As a heart patient, I myself would not find anything helpful or useful in what this cardiologist apparently told you.  He seems to have told you that he found something to worry about, but that he wasn't sure, and kind of left it up to you.  Oh, wait:  That's his job.

Frankly, I'd get a second opinion.