Women’s Heart Attacks Underdiagnosed

If you search for the classic symptoms of a heart attack you will find: pressure or pain in the chest shooting down the left arm. References also mention a feeling of discomfort radiating to the back, jaw or throat. About 70 percent of men experience these symptoms. Women, on the other hand, are less likely to suffer chest pain and consequently are less likely to be diagnosed with a heart attack.
According to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, roughly four women out of 10 had no chest pain with their heart attack. Women under 55 were especially likely to have atypical symptoms and were 20 percent more likely to die of their heart attack than men. This might be because their heart attack was not correctly diagnosed and treated promptly. Women may experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, heartburn and exhaustion instead of chest pain. This study should encourage women to take such symptoms seriously and seek emergency treatment promptly if they occur.

[Journal of the American Medical Association, February 22/29, 2012]