Clues in history to causes of chest pain
| Cardiac | Association with exercise |
| Syncope, dizziness, vertigo | |
| Colour change (pallor, cyanosis) | |
| Palpitations | |
| Sweating and nausea | |
| Shortness of breath | |
| Family history of premature ischaemic heart disease, sudden death, arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy | |
| Illicit drug use, particularly cocaine | |
| Respiratory | Worse on inspiration, exercise |
| History of asthma | |
| Sputum, haemoptysis | |
| Gastrointestinal | Worse with eating or posture |
| Belching | |
| Tenderness or pain — chest base, shoulder tip, retrosternal, epigastric | |
| Heartburn, water-brash | |
| Dysphagia | |
| Haematemesis, melaena | |
| Musculoskeletal | Pain elicited by palpation, squeezing of chest wall |
| Pain worse on movement, breathing, coughing | |
| History of trauma, sprain, strain | |
| Well-localised pain | |
| Psychological | Chronic pain |
| Pain as isolated symptom | |
| Family history of heart disease | |
| Stressful life events |