Surprise Findings on Heart Attacks in Women

A new study indicates that most women who have a heart attack know their symptoms are new or different a month or more before the attack, and by far the most frequent symptom reported is unusual fatigue, not chest pain. The study was published in the November 3, 2003, online issue of Circulation.

The study involved 515 women who had experienced a heart attack within the previous four to six months. About 95% noted that they were aware of new or different symptoms a month or so before their attack. The symptom most often reported (70.7%) was unusual fatigue. This was followed by sleep disturbance (47.8%) and shortness of breath (42.1%). Fewer than 30% reported chest pain or discomfort, and 43% did not experience chest pain even during the attack. Prior to this study, most doctors considered chest pain as the most important symptom of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in both men and women.

"Symptoms such as indigestion, sleep disturbances, or weakness in the arms, which many of us experience on a daily basis, were recognized by many women in the study as warning signals for AMI,” said Jean McSweeney, Ph.D., RN, principal investigator of the study at the University for Medical Sciences (Little Rock, AR, USA; www.uams.edu). "Because there was considerable variability in the frequency and severity of symptoms, we need to know at what point these symptoms can help us predict a cardiac event.”




Related Links:
U. of Arkansas for Medical Sciences