Surprising symptom that 40% of women suffer weeks before a heart attack

02 February 2023 , 09:40

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Many women have their heart attacks dismissed as heartburn and anxiety (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Chest pain and fatigue are considered the most common symptoms that arise ahead of a heart attack - the leading cause of death for women in the UK.

The condition kills around 77 British women every day, but many have their heart attacks dismissed as heartburn, anxiety or ‘a funny turn’.

According to the British Heart Foundation, females are 50 percent more likely to be wrongly diagnosed when it comes to coronary problems than men.

But experts have warned of a lesser-known sign that could signal the condition.

A study, published in the journal Circulation, found that indigestion was a common symptom experienced by women in the month leading up to their cardiac event.

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Around 39 percent of the cohort reported the uncomfortable sensation before their heart attack, but indigestion was not common during the heart attack itself.

Indigestion can be pain or discomfort in your upper abdomen (dyspepsia) or burning pain behind the breastbone (heartburn), says the NHS.

The aim of the study was to accurately describe the women’s coronary heart disease symptoms, to develop a deeper understanding of the warning signs.

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The study found that indigestion was a common symptom experienced by women (Getty Images)

The researchers said: "The current description of 'typical' cardiac symptoms is based primarily on the experience of white, middle-aged men.”

But this "contributes to misunderstandings in clinicians and lay individuals, leads to inaccurate diagnosis, and causes women to delay seeking treatment".

They added that in earlier research, they found that between 85 to 90 percent of women reported several different symptoms in the period leading up to a heart attack.

The most common symptoms women identified in the month before the heart attack include:

1. Unusual fatigue (71 per cent)

2. Sleep disturbance (48 per cent)

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3. Shortness of breath (42 per cent)

4. Indigestion (39 per cent)

5. Anxiety (36 per cent)

During a heart attack women experienced:

1. Shortness of breath (58 per cent)

2. Weakness (55 per cent)

3. Unusual fatigue (43 per cent)

4. Cold sweat (39 per cent)

5. Dizziness (39 per cent)

Dr Nancy K. Sweitzer, came up with a list of integral factors a person needs to implement into their lives in order to reduce their risk of the potentially life-threatening health condition.

She came up with these five lifestyle factors after citing a similar study from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.

In the study, 20,721 participants aged between 45 and 79 were investigated for a total of 11 years.

Lifestyle changes and heart condition risks were analysed.

According to Dr Sweitzer, habits to stop to significantly reduce your risk of a heart attack include:

• Quit smoking for a 36% risk reduction

• Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, reduced-fat dairy, whole grains and fish for a 18% reduction

• 12% reduction for maintaining a waistline of 37 inches or less for men or less than 35 inches for women

• 11% reduction for drinking fewer than two alcoholic drinks per day

• 3% reduction for moderate daily and weekly exercise routines

“It can be overwhelming if people feel they need to make all of these changes at once,” added Dr Sweitzer.

“Everyone could look at where they can make the biggest impact on their risk reduction and start with one small change.”

Freya Hodgson