Nuclear cardiology uses radiolabeled tracers and imaging techniques to provide functional data on myocardial perfusion and viability. The main types of studies are myocardial perfusion imaging using thallium-201 or technetium-99m sestamibi, blood pool imaging with technetium-99m, and infarct imaging. Myocardial perfusion imaging can detect ischemia and scar tissue and has prognostic value. Newer techniques like SPECT and PET provide higher quality images but some techniques like thallium redistribution imaging remain important clinically.