Coronary Reactivity Test

Coronary reactivity testing enables your physician to better understand how your blood vessels react to certain medications in order to determine whether there is enough blood flow to the heart.

The test is performed in the cardiac catheterization lab. Because of the very small risk of complications, coronary reactivity testing is often done after noninvasive heart tests have been performed.

How it works

Coronary reactivity testing is performed as part of an angiogram.

An angiogram is a series of X-ray images taken to give your physician a better view of the blood vessels in your heart. Before the images are taken, you will be injected with a special dye that's readable by the X-ray machine.

The coronary reactivity test is an outpatient procedure that lasts from 60 to 90 minutes, and you will be lightly sedated for the duration.

During the test, medications are injected into your blood vessels and a series of images are taken. These images record how the blood vessels react to the medications.

These blood vessel reactions help your physician pinpoint blockages and other problems that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.