How often should I get an electrocardiogram (ECG)?

Anthony L. Komaroff, MD

Internal Medicine

If you are middle-aged or elderly and have risk factors for a heart attack -- such as high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or diabetes -- you should probably have an electrocardiogram (ECG) yearly, even if you're feeling fine. Also, because there are wide ranges of what's considered a "normal" ECG, it's helpful to have a baseline ECG to compare against future tests, to spot any abnormal changes.

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How often should I get an electrocardiogram (ECG)?

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