Heart Attack: Know the Signs

After reading the above messages regarding heart attack warning signs, I became curious as to what (if any) gender differences exist, and found that the National Institute of Health (NIH) conducted a study on women and symptoms of heart attack (specifically, Acute Myocardial Infarction or "AMI"). The study did find some gender differences and "new" symptoms, as well as possible ethnic and racial differences.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), women did not typically have chest pains (less than 30%) before or during a heart attack, which is significantly different from men. Women did report some similar symptoms as men, including shortness of breath and weakness.

The symptoms most commonly reported by women *before* the heart attack were:
- unusual fatigue
- sleep disturbance
- shortness of breath
- indigestion
- anxiety

The symptoms most commonly reported by women *during* the heart attack were:
- shortness of breath
- weakness
- unusual fatigue
- cold sweat
- dizziness

Article can be viewed at the NIH website:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/nov2003/ninr-03.htm

While the AHA has excellent guidelines for heart attacks, it's well known that women frequently have atypicl presentations and thus find themselves ignored. The above guidelines are typical for most male patients as until a few years ago, all of the research was performed on men. Basically, anything goes for women.

You really need to note that women can have very atypical type of symptoms of heart attack, not the classic AHA warning signs. This is part of the reason women can be taken less seriously than men, it doesn't fit into a standard mold.