Additional tests may include a nuclear stress test to assess for blockages in the coronary arteries, and if positive, a cardiac catheterization, an invasive test which involves threading a thin wire into the heart to assess for blockages in the coronary arteries as well.

FORBES: Coronary CT Scans May Save You (And Your Hospital)

But now mathematician Max Little has come up with a non-invasive, cheap test which he hopes will offer a quick new way to identify the disease.

BBC: Voice algorithms spot Parkinson's disease

Because a breath test is non-invasive and the results are instantaneous, it could prove even more convenient for example in anaesthesia or doping tests.

BBC: Exhaled breath is unique fingerprint