Stop Heart Disease Before It Starts! A normal echocardiogram (echo) is a heart ultrasound performed while the patient is at rest. It helps doctors evaluate the structure and function of the heart, including heart size, pumping strength, and valve function, and is commonly used to diagnose conditions such as valve disorders, heart muscle disease, or fluid around the heart. A stress echo, however, assesses how the heart performs when it is under physical or medically induced stress. It is especial