The symptoms of a heart attack in women may not be the same as for men, warn American experts.

Heart disease and heart attacks actually claim the lives of more American women than American men each year. Indeed heart problems kill more women than all forms of cancer combined. Yet many women do not recognise the symptoms of heart disease.

Most women would know that gripping chest pain is a symptom of a heart attack in a man, say experts at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Yet few realise that nausea is a common heart attack symptom for women. The cardiac team have a number of heart health tips to offer, especially for women. First, you should pay as much attention to heart checks as to gynaecological tests - having blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar checked regularly, especially if there is a family history of heart problems. Self-help is important - so make sure you get between five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day and cut right down on saturated fats. Keeping active and fit is also important.

And everyone should be aware of the symptoms of a heart attack. Squeezing chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, sweating, chest tightness are common in men - and pain may spread out to the shoulders neck or arms. Women are more likely to have indigestion-like symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, and pain in the back - between the shoulder blades - rather than in the chest. Weakness, fatigue and a sense of impending doom are also common in women having a heart attack. Call the emergency services straight away if you get any symptoms that could signal the start of a heart attack.

Source

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center January 16 2002