This study describes the outcome in terms of health-related quality of life (QL) five years after onset of symptoms in 397 patients with an initial suspicion of acute myocardial infarction (MI) but in whom the diagnosis was not confirmed. The patients were approached by means of a postal inquiry that comprised two questionnaires. The most pronounced impairment in health-related QL was expressed as decreased energy, whereas social life was the least affected area. The overall QL was very similar to that in patients who had a confirmed MI. Subsets of patients with impaired QL were those given the diagnosis of angina pectoris or possible infarction.