Many people believe a normal physical exam or a basic electrocardiogram (EKG) means their heart is in perfect shape. However, critical structural issues can quietly develop without showing any electrical warning signs.
At Harlem Cardiology on Madison Avenue in New York City, our team of eight skilled cardiologists, led by Dr. Henock Saint-Jacques, MD, FACC, uses advanced imaging to look deeper. We serve patients across East Harlem, New York, helping to identify hidden cardiovascular conditions before they lead to serious complications. An echocardiogram — an ultrasound of the heart — is the most reliable tool we have to visualize your heart's chambers, valves, and pumping strength in real-time.
An echocardiogram uses high-frequency sound waves to create live, detailed images of your heart's physical structure, allowing doctors to see mechanical issues that electrical tests cannot detect. While an EKG measures electrical signals, it cannot show if a valve is leaking or if the heart muscle has thickened. For example, silent valve problems are incredibly common. According to the Cardiovascular Research Foundation TCT, about 8.2% of asymptomatic adults aged 65 to 85 have moderate or greater valvular heart disease. This means millions of Americans are living with a leaking or narrowed valve without knowing it.
Similarly, standard EKGs often miss physical changes like left ventricular hypertrophy, which is the thickening of the heart's main pumping chamber. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension found that standard EKG criteria successfully identified less than half of patients with this dangerous structural thickening, whereas an echocardiogram detects it with absolute precision.
An echocardiogram provides the exact measurements our cardiologists need to diagnose specific types of heart failure and customize your treatment plan. By measuring your ejection fraction — the percentage of blood pumped out with each beat — we can determine whether your heart muscle is weak or simply too stiff to relax.
This detailed structural mapping is also essential when evaluating symptoms like chest pain or preparing for a stress test. It allows us to see exactly how blood flows through your valves and chambers. If we detect a severe issue, we can immediately start targeted therapies to protect your heart from irreversible damage.
You do not have to wait for symptoms to appear to take control of your cardiovascular health. If you have risk factors like high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease, an ultrasound of your heart can provide ultimate peace of mind. Please schedule a consultation with Dr. Saint-Jacques and our dedicated team at Harlem Cardiology on Madison Avenue today.
