Using EKG results alone isn't an effective predictor of a future heart attack in low-risk individuals. It's possible to have a heart attack despite a normal EKG reading. A limitation of EKG is that it cannot show an asymptomatic blockage in your arteries which may put you at risk of a future heart attack.

How do you test for impending heart attack?

A blood test for high-sensitivity troponin T indicates damage to heart muscle. Troponin testing is regularly used by hospitals to diagnose heart attacks, but high-sensitivity troponin fine-tunes that measure, pointing to small amounts of damage that can be detected in individuals without any symptoms or warning signs.

Can doctors detect an impending heart attack?

The new high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T test can detect smaller amounts of troponin in the bloodstream. This could let doctors identify small heart attacks that would otherwise go undiagnosed, or identify heart attacks earlier—and begin treatment earlier.