Novel markers for cardiac disease that are both sensitive and accurate. These markers are differentially and/or specifically expressed in cardiac tissue, as opposed to other types of tissues, optionally and preferably including muscle tissue. The measurement of these markers, alone or in combination, in patient samples provides information that the diagnostician can correlate with a probable diagnosis of cardiac disease, including pathology and/or damage, including acute and/or chronic damage. The markers of the present invention, alone or in combination, show a high degree of differential detection between cardiac disease states and non-cardiac disease states.