Men and women are both susceptible to suffering heart attacks, but a new study indicates that warning signs may vary between the sexes. The American Heart Association reports that heart attacks more commonly occur in men, but women should be sure to consider their own heart health and know the warning signs as well.
The recent study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at more than a million heart attack patients and discovered that 42 percent of female participants presented no signs of chest pain or discomfort, according to Reuters Health. These are the most common early warning signs of a heart attack, and only 31 percent of men in the study had heart attacks without these symptoms.
"If our results are in fact true, I would argue that rather than the one-size-fits-all symptom message, we also tailor that message to say that women less than 55 are also at higher risk for atypical presentation," researcher John Canto of the Watson Clinic in Lakeland, Florida, told Reuters.
Atypical symptoms observed by the researchers included shortness of breath and pain in areas other than the chest and shoulders, such as the neck, back, jaw, arms and stomach. The preliminary findings of this study show that while chest pain may be a marker for heart attacks in many cases, the absence of this symptom does not rule out the possibility of suffering an attack.
The study found that the absence of chest pain tended to be less frequent in older women, and the risk of suffering a heart attack without warning signs dropped below that of men past the age of 65. All adults should know the warning signs of heart attacks, as early treatment is crucial to their health and recovery. Those who smoke, have high blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes or heart disease may have a higher risk of heart attacks.
Seniors living independently may want to install medical alert devices in their home. This gives them the means to call for help in an instant should they recognize the signs of a heart attack or otherwise need assistance.