Holter Monitoring (after consultation)

12-lead ECG done at the clinic and reported by the cardiologist during the same visit. It takes about five minutes and is painless. An ECG can show a current or old heart attack, abnormal rhythms, heart block and thickening of the heart muscle. It is usually the first test for chest pain, palpitations or breathlessness, and is also used to monitor the effect of heart medicines. Fee: ₹300 (reported by the cardiologist the same evening).

Ultrasound scan of the heart with Doppler, performed by the cardiologist. An echo shows how strongly the heart pumps (ejection fraction), narrowing or leakage of the valves, thickness of the heart muscle, pressure in the lungs and holes in the heart. There is no radiation and no needles, and it takes about 20 to 30 minutes. It is used to assess breathlessness, heart murmurs and heart failure, after a heart attack, and before procedures such as TAVI and device closure. Fee: ₹1,500.

A blood test done at the clinic, with the result available in minutes. NT-proBNP rises when the heart is under strain. It helps confirm or rule out heart failure as the cause of breathlessness or swelling, and during follow-up it helps the cardiologist adjust heart failure medicines. Fee: ₹1,000 (result in minutes).