Vital Link | fall 2004

Would You Recognize a Heart Attack?
Crushing chest pain—that’s what many people think a heart attack should feel like. While it’s true that chest pain is the most common warning sign of a heart attack, the pain itself may be mild. And not everyone has chest pain. In fact, as many as one-third of heart attacks don’t cause any chest pain at all.

Who gets these heart attacks that don’t cause chest pain? Anyone can be a victim, but certain people are more likely to have them. These include:

  • women
  • older adults
  • African-Americans
  • people with diabetes
  • heart failure sufferers
  • individuals with a history of stroke.

Researchers aren’t certain why these people are likelier to have heart attacks without chest pain, but more research is under way.

Some Lesser-Known Warning Signs
So, what does a “nontraditional” heart attack feel like? Possible symptoms include:

  • pain in the back, neck, jaw, stomach, or arm
  • “fullness” or pressure in the chest that lasts longer than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
  • trouble breathing
  • nausea
  • fatigue
  • cold sweats
  • dizziness
  • severe headache, especially in older adults.

The fact that these heart attacks don’t cause chest pain doesn’t mean they are less serious—just the opposite, in fact. Often, heart attacks without chest pain can be the most deadly. People who have this type of heart attack are twice as likely to die within a month—and nearly three times as likely to die within a year—as those who have an attack signaled by chest pain. Scientists are trying to unravel why this is the case.

How Long Should You Wait Before Getting Help?
Almost half of all heart attack victims die, and a major reason is because they wait too long to get help. For the best chances of recovery, patients should receive heart attack treatments within an hour of experiencing symptoms.

The bottom line is this: Don’t “wait and see” what happens. Call for an ambulance within five minutes of having symptoms.

For more heart-healthy information, call the Vital Link hotline at 828-757-6162 or e-mail us at vlink@caldwell-mem.org. The first 250 people to respond will receive FREE health brochures—Heart Truth for Women and Stay Young at Heart: Heart-Healthy Recipes.



The editorial content of this online publication is taken from the print version of Vital Link published by Caldwell Memorial Hospital.

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