If you've had a heart attack, the doctor will review your medical history and examine you. He or she may use an electrocardiogram to discover any heart abnormalities and may use a blood test to detect enzyme level abnormalities in the bloodstream. If you're worried about heart disease, several tests can diagnose possible heart disease depending on your risk factors, history of heart problems, symptoms and your doctor's interpretation of these factors. The doctor will probably begin with the simplest test and use more complicated ones later on.
Some tests are invasive.
That is, they involve inserting needles, instruments or fluids into the body. Another invasive test is the cardiac catheterization, also known as coronary angiography. The best tests for diagnosing heart disease in women are the technetium and stress echocardiogram imaging tests. In the technetium, the woman walks on a treadmill while a radioactive isotope is injected into the bloodstream to track blood flow. If you quit smoking, your risk for heart attack is cut in half one year later.