Heart attack: New report outlines early signs experienced by 80% of people who had it

Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Chest pain is the most common and recognizable symptom of a heart attack. Others, including shortness of breath, fatigue, sweating, nausea and lightheadedness can be easily missed or mistaken for other conditions. It is important to know the wide range of signs to look out for as some begin to show weeks prior to a cardiac arrest episode, a new study shows.

Not hard to miss

A study present at a recent annual meeting of the American Heart Association offers some useful insights into the common symptoms that precede heart attack in men. The study examined data collected from 567 men aged between 35 and 65 years. Results showed that almost 80% of symptoms commonly reported were present as early as month prior to a sudden heart attack.

Unsurprisingly, chest pain was reported by 56% of the men; 13% reported shortness of breath and 4% said they experienced fainting, dizziness, heart palpitations and fainting, Express.co.uk reports. Corrine Y. Jurgens, Ph.D., an associate professor at Boston College’s Connell School of Nursing said:

Research indicates that subtle symptoms such as these may predict acute events and the need for hospitalization.

Limitations

Over the years, studies on heart attacks have largely focused on men. It has however emerged that women two thirds of women who get heart attacks do not present with the symptoms that are widely known. In fact, the American Heart Association states that women are more likely than men to report more symptoms in addition to chest pain.

Nanette K. Wenger, M.D., FAHA, an emeritus professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine touched on the need for health equity:

We must urgently address the pervasive gaps in knowledge and health care delivery to reduce gender-based disparities and achieve equity. There is no improving cardiovascular health without achieving health equity.

Sources used:

Express.co.uk: 80% of people report same 5 symptoms a month before a heart attack strikes finds study

Institute for Cardiovascular Disease: 8 Warning Signs Your Body Gives You Before a Heart Attack

American Heart Association: Report outlines most common symptoms of 6 cardiovascular diseases