An echocardiogram (or “echo”) uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to take images of the heart. It is safe, non-invasive and painless.

The images are used to assess the heart’s structure and function — including chamber size, wall thickness, pumping function, and valve health. An echo can also identify congenital heart disease, assess major blood vessels, and check the pericardium (the lining around the heart) for fluid or other abnormalities.

It’s a highly useful test for patients with heart failure, heart attack, valve disease, inherited heart muscle conditions, arrhythmias, and blood vessel problems.

The most common type is a transthoracic echocardiogram, where the ultrasound probe is moved across the chest. A stress echocardiogram is also available, which assesses how the heart responds to exercise or medication — particularly useful for suspected coronary artery disease and angina.