Understanding Your Test Results
Test Results Explorer
Understand What Your Doctor Reads
Your test results were written by specialists, for specialists. These guides translate the medical shorthand into plain language — so you can read your own reports and have better conversations with your doctors.
You are not alone if you have opened your MyChart portal, read a test result, and felt a wave of anxiety. You are not alone if phrases like “diastolic dysfunction,” “cannot rule out anterior infarct,” “mild atherosclerosis,” or “reversible perfusion defect” made your heart race. This is normal. The language was not written for you — but the information is yours, and you deserve to understand it.
Understanding Your Echocardiogram Report
Ejection fraction, diastolic dysfunction, wall motion, valve findings, and more — explained in plain language.
Covers: Left ventricle (size, thickness, EF, wall motion, diastolic function) • Right ventricle • Atria • All four heart valves • Great vessels • Pericardium • Estimated pulmonary pressures
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Understanding Your Stress Test Results
Treadmill stress testing, nuclear stress tests, and stress echocardiograms — what the results actually tell your cardiologist.
Covers: Exercise capacity • ST-segment changes • Perfusion defects • Wall motion with stress • Duke Treadmill Score • Fixed vs. reversible defects
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Understanding Your EKG Report
And why “cannot rule out anterior infarct” probably does not mean what you think.
Covers: Sinus rhythm • Bundle branch blocks • Axis deviation • ST/T-wave changes • QTc prolongation • LVH • Common false positives • When findings matter vs. when they don’t
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Understanding Your Lipid Panel
Why non-HDL cholesterol matters more than ratios, and what your doctor may not be reporting.
Covers: Concentration vs. particles • LDL-C calculation pitfalls • Non-HDL-C • ApoB • Lp(a) • HDL-C myths • Triglycerides • Fasting vs. nonfasting • Familial Hypercholesterolemia • Advanced panels • The problem with ratios
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Understanding Your Cardiac CT
Coronary artery calcium scoring, CT angiography, and what these results mean for your cardiovascular risk.
Covers: CAC Agatston score • The power of zero • Risk modifiers (multi-vessel, left main, MESA percentile) • Insurance & access • Repeat testing • On-treatment challenges • Athletes & CAC • CT angiography • CAD-RADS stenosis grading • Coronary anomalies • Virtual FFR • AI & plaque morphology
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Where This Is Going
These guides are the foundation for something bigger. We are building a HIPAA-compliant tool that will allow you to upload or scan your own test results — from MyChart, from a printed report, from a photo — and receive a personalized, plain-language interpretation.
Until then, these guides give you the vocabulary and confidence to read your own reports and have better conversations with your doctors.
Explore More
Deep-dive into specific conditions, read our latest insights, or see who we trust in cardiovascular medicine.
Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Your test results should always be interpreted by your physician or healthcare provider in the context of your individual clinical picture.
CardioAdvocate helps people understand what matters — and how to speak up about it.