These tests are important and help your healthcare provider determine if a heart attack occurred, how much your heart was damaged and also what degree of coronary artery disease (CAD) you may have. Your heart attack may have been the first symptom that you have CAD. The tests screen your heart and help the doctor determine what treatment and lifestyle changes will keep your heart healthy and prevent serious future medical events. There are non-invasive and invasive diagnostic tests.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/SymptomsDiagnosisofHeartAttack/Diagnostic-Tests-and-Procedures-for-Heart-Attack_UCM_303929_Article.jsp
(Agatston does not make any money from the coronary calcium scan.) The other imaging test Agatston recommends is an ultrasound of the carotid artery, looking at plaque in the main blood vessel leading to the brain. Plaque in the carotid artery is a sign of increased risk for a heart attack and stroke. Both tests are non-invasive and outpatient, although the calcium scan does expose the patient to the equivalent of several months of normal background radiation.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/16/tests.picture.heart.attack/index.html
If you have coronary artery disease, you probably don't need this test unless you have new symptoms. It's not helpful for patients with mild heart murmurs. But if you have certain heart problems, like a valve disease or heart failure, your doctor needs to check your heart regularly with this test.
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/heart_tests_when_do_you_need_them-health/article_em.htm
Invasive procedures can include insertion of a tube, device or scope. If you've had a heart attack, you may have already had certain procedures to help you survive your heart attack and diagnose your condition. For example, many heart attack patients have undergone thrombolysis, a procedure that involves injecting a clot-dissolving agent to restore blood flow in a coronary artery.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/SymptomsDiagnosisofHeartAttack/Diagnostic-Tests-and-Procedures-for-Heart-Attack_UCM_303929_Article.jsp
Heart tests can be very helpful in finding out what kind of heart problem you have and what treatment you need. These tests help doctors find out what's causing new symptoms, such as discomfort in your chest, shortness of breath, or irregular heartbeats. They can also: Check your heart's electrical system.
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/heart_tests_when_do_you_need_them-health/article_em.htm
Coronary heart disease - Diagnosis. Diagnosis and risk assessment. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is usually diagnosed after a risk assessment and some further tests. Risk assessment. If your doctor thinks you may be at risk of developing CHD, they may carry out a risk assessment for cardiovascular disease, heart attack or stroke. This may be carried out as part of an NHS Health Check.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coronary-heart-disease/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx
Diagnosis and risk assessment. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is usually diagnosed after a risk assessment and some further tests. If your doctor thinks you may be at risk of developing CHD, they may carry out a risk assessment for cardiovascular disease, heart attack or stroke. This may be carried out as part of an NHS Health Check.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coronary-heart-disease/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx
1 And even if you are a heart patient, a routine EKG just isn't needed as long as you have no new symptoms and you see your doctor several times a year.  Exercise EKG: If you're healthy and have no symptoms of heart disease, you can say no to this test, often called a stress test or treadmill test.
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/heart_tests_when_do_you_need_them-health/article_em.htm
Agatston says relatively new imaging tests give real-time pictures showing whether plaque is building up in key blood vessels, alerting doctor and patient to an increased risk of a potentially deadly heart attack. Unless you do the imaging, you are really playing Russian roulette with your life, he said. Agatston invented one of the imaging tests, the coronary calcium scan, which looks at plaque in the arteries leading to the heart. Plaque in these arteries is a red flag for a potential heart attack. The other imaging test Agatston recommends is an ultrasound of the carotid artery, looking at plaque in the main blood vessel leading to the brain. Plaque in the carotid artery is a sign of increased risk for a heart attack and stroke.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/16/tests.picture.heart.attack/index.html
Heart Tests: When Do You Need Them. Topic Overview. Heart tests can be very helpful in finding out what kind of heart problem you have and what treatment you need. These tests help doctors find out what's causing new symptoms, such as discomfort in your chest, shortness of breath, or irregular heartbeats. Check your heart's electrical system.
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/heart_tests_when_do_you_need_them-health/article_em.htm
what tests can doctors do to check to see if you are at risk of heart attack
To check to see if you are at risk of heart attack, doctors use Agatston test. Agatston tests doctors do to check to see if you are at risk of heart attack.