ST Segment Depression suggestive of Ischaemia

What Is It?

Movement in the ST segment, which is lower than normal. Abnormal deviations may be seen in a variety of settings including myocardial ischaemia.

Additional Information

Ischaemic heart disease is when the heart muscle has not received enough blood and oxygen to function normally. Most common causes are previous heart attacks or current blockages and/or hardening of the arteries such as a build-up of cholesterol. High risk groups include those with a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, high fat diet and obesity.

Treatment Options

This is potentially a serious disorder and it is therefore important that you discuss your particular situation with your doctor. Most standard ECG tests are often not sensitive, which means that ST segment depression may be detected with normal heart arteries and undetected despite serious disease. The presence of ST changes is therefore just an indicator that further tests are advisable.