The diagnosis of atherosclerosis is based on a combination of medical history, a physical exam and test results. The physical exam includes listening for abnormal sounds in the arteries and checking the strength of pulses in different parts of the body. A weak pulse in a leg, foot, arm or hand and a ‘whooshing’ sound are indicative of poor blood flow, which may be due to a blocked artery.

Diagnostic tests include the simple blood test described above, an electrocardiogram (to check heart beat, strength and rhythm) and stress testing (to identify abnormal changes when the heart is required to work harder).

Chest X-rays are useful to identify signs of heart failure or an angiography can be performed, where a dye is injected into the arteries and any narrowing of the arteries is viewable by X-ray.