Exams and Tests

Doctors can usually diagnose a heart attack based on a combination of:

• Your signs and symptoms
• Your medical history
• Electrocardiogram (ECG) that can detect and record the heart's electrical activity and show signs of heart damage
• Blood tests that check the levels of certain proteins released into the bloodstream as heart muscle cells die; troponin tests tests are commonly used and may be repeated over a period of time.