TCM diagnosis Based on Syndrome Differentiation:
The disease causes of CHD as listed in Chinese medicine include former heaven natural endowment insufficiency, habitual bodily exuberance, damage by the seven affects, unregulated stirring and stillness, faulty diet, aging, and enduring disease. Occurrence of CHD may also be due to iatrogenesis and, in the future, it is possible that Chinese doctors will add contraction of external evils to this list. As in so many cardiovascular diseases, the disease mechanisms of CHD mostly involve a combination of vacuity and repletion. In this case, a root vacuity with one or more tip or branch repletions exists. The root vacuity is a qi, yin, and/or yang vacuity. Often, the vacuity aspect of this disease progresses from simple qi vacuity initially to yin or yang vacuity, or possibly even yin and yang dual vacuity at a later stage.

Qi governs the blood, and the heart controls the blood. This means that the heart qi pushes the blood throughout the vessels of the entire body. Therefore, if, for any reason, the qi becomes vacuous and weak, the propulsion of blood loses its force, and the blood may become static and stagnant. Qi vacuity blood stasis is one of the most commonly seen pattern combinations in real-life CHD cases. Besides giving rise to heart blood stasis and other disease mechanisms explained below, heart qi vacuity presents with such common qi vacuity signs as shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating, and general weakness. In addition, since the heart spirit is an accumulation of qi and thus depends on an abundance of qi, if heart qi is vacuous, the spirit becomes damaged and unstable, giving rise to easy fright.


Diagnosis in Western Medicine:
1. Stress Testing
During stress testing, you exercise to make your heart work hard and beat fast while heart tests are done. If you can't exercise, you may be given medicine to raise your heart rate. When your heart is working hard and beating fast, it needs more blood and oxygen. Plaque-narrowed arteries can't supply enough oxygen-rich blood to meet your heart's needs.

2. EKG
An EKG is a simple, painless test that detects and records the heart's electrical activity. The test shows how fast the heart is beating and its rhythm (steady or irregular). An EKG also records the strength and timing of electrical signals as they pass through the heart. An EKG can show signs of heart damage due to CHD and signs of a previous or current heart attack.

3. Echocardiography
Echocardiography (echo) uses sound waves to create a moving picture of your heart. The picture shows the size and shape of your heart and how well your heart chambers and valves are working. Echo also can show areas of poor blood flow to the heart, areas of heart muscle that aren't contracting normally, and previous injury to the heart muscle caused by poor blood flow.

4. Blood Tests
Blood tests check the levels of certain fats, cholesterol, sugar, and proteins in your blood. Abnormal levels might be a sign that you're at risk for CHD.

5. Coronary Angiography and Cardiac Catheterization
Your doctor may recommend coronary angiography (an-jee-OG-rah-fee) if other tests or factors show that you're likely to have CHD. This test uses dye and special x rays to show the insides of your coronary arteries. To get the dye into your coronary arteries, your doctor will use a procedure called cardiac catheterization (KATH-eh-ter-ih-ZA-shun).

6. Chest X Ray
A chest x ray takes pictures of the organs and structures inside your chest, such as your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. A chest x ray can reveal signs of heart failure, as well as lung disorders and other causes of symptoms not related to CHD.