Radiation From Cardiac Imaging Tests

Abstract

Many patients are referred by their physicians for noninvasive cardiac tests. Among these tests are cardiac imaging tests, which take pictures of the heart’s structure or function. There are different types of cardiac imaging tests, which were explained in a recent Cardiology Patient Page,1 and these tests are performed more than 20 million times per year in the United States. One concern shared by many patients referred for cardiac imaging tests is their exposure to radiation. If an imaging test is performed for a good reason and using good technique, the expected benefits provided by the test will far outweigh the risks related to radiation. Radiation is referred to as a weak carcinogen, which means that it is very rare for radiation to cause cancer. Moreover, it generally takes at least a decade for someone to develop cancer related to radiation exposure. However, an imaging test can provide very valuable information about your heart that can immediately affect treatment, prevention, and ultimately health outcomes. The right imaging test undoubtedly has the potential to save a life. Nevertheless, it is very understandable that patients referred for cardiac imaging are concerned about risks from radiation, because any unnecessary risk is too much of a risk. Unfortunately, there is no “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” for imaging tests, so it is hard for patients to know whether their imaging test will be performed for a good reason and with good technique. First, know what type of test is being ordered. An echocardiogram, which uses sound waves, or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test, which uses magnetic fields, does not involve the type of radiation (ionizing radiation) that leads to DNA mutations that may cause cancer. This is not to say that these tests are always harmless, but radiation-related cancer should not be …