The test measures blood levels of modified albumin, which studies have shown are raised in patients having a heart attack.
Announcing the approval, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said an estimated 3 to 5 million Americans turn up to emergency rooms each year with heart attack symptoms, but only 22% have actually suffered a heart attack.
The FDA stressed that doctors should not rely on the modified albumin test alone, but should use it in conjunction with an electrocardiogram and a troponin test.
A study of more than 200 patients with severe chest pain found that physicians were 70% accurate in ruling out a heart attack using all three tests, compared to 50% accuracy using an ECG and troponin test.
Reference
'US clears new test to help rule out heart attacks'
Reuters News, 2003, [14 February]