Do EKG tests check for diabetics, high blood pressure and other heart diseases?

Question

I had an EKG test done due to chest pains. I just wanted to know if EKG tests check for diabetics, high blood pressure and other heart diseases?

Answer 1

Obviously yes, it usually checks for your blood pressure

An electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is done to:

    * Find the cause of unexplained chest pain, such as a heart attack, inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart (pericarditis), or reduced blood flow to the heart muscle (ischemia).

    * Find the cause of symptoms of heart disease, such as unexplained chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, or rapid, irregular heartbeats (palpitations).

    * Check the heart's electrical activity.

    * Find out if the walls of the heart chambers are too thick (hypertrophied).

    * Check how well medicines are working and whether they are causing side effects that affect the heart.

    * Check how well mechanical devices that are implanted in the heart, such as pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), are working to control a normal heartbeat.

    * Check the health of the heart when other diseases or conditions are present, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, diabetes, or a family history of early heart disease.

For more information, visit:

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/elect...

Answer 2

An EKG is a snapshot of the electrical activity of the heart.  It can show if the heart has an irregular rhythm, rate, or signs of ischemia.  There are changes that can indicate other cardiac problems, such as an enlarged heart muscle, lung disease, the effects of medication, too much potassium, etc.

It will not show anything related to blood pressure, or heart function.  It is possible to have a totally normal EKG and be in heart failure (the heart is not strong enough to pump blood around the body).

Diabetes can affect the heart, and many diabetics will have small heart attacks without any symptoms.  The EKG may pick these up.  It will not diagnose or tell doctors anything about diabetes, though.  

There are many other diagnostic studies that cardiologists use to test for heart diseases.  The EKG is just one tool.