Exams and Tests

To help minimize harm from androgen deprivation therapy, your physician will conduct a thorough history and physical exam to assess your heart risk factors or evaluate any existing cardiovascular disease you may have.

Talk about the risks and benefits of the treatment with your doctor. It's also good to go over the plan for future treatment and follow-up visits.

Tests to evaluate your risk may include blood tests such as:

• Fasting cholesterol (lipid panel)
• Fasting blood sugar
• Kidney function and blood electrolytes (potassium, sodium, calcium)
• Complete blood count, including hemoglobin, to assess for anemia
• Brain natriuretic peptide, a test evaluating for signs of heart failure

Other tests include:

• Electrocardiogram, ECG, a test to evaluate electrical activity of the heart
• Echocardiography, an ultrasound examination of the heart to assess size, thickness of the muscle, pumping function and relaxation of the heart, and valve function
• Stress testing, exercise testing while monitoring of the heart to look for signs that might suggest blocked coronary arteries