From HCA North Florida Division
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), approx. every 40 seconds, someone experiences a heart attack in the U.S. While some heart attack symptoms, like chest pain, are common across the board, other heart attack symptoms can vary between men and women. Women, especially, can experience non‐chest pain symptoms during a heart attack that are less recognizable.
Compared to women, men have a greater chance of experiencing a heart attack and at an earlier stage in life. These are some common male‐specific heart attack symptoms to watch for:
Even though men are more susceptible to heart attacks, heart disease is the leading cause of death in American women. This can be attributed to heart attack symptoms specific to women that can commonly go unnoticed and delay necessary treatment. Some female‐specific heart attack symptoms that often go unrecognized include:
Remember, if you suspect a heart attack is occurring, call 9‐1‐1 right away. A heart attack is a serious medical condition that needs immediate attention.
Though the thought of you or a loved one experiencing a cardiac event can be frightening, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk by up to 80%, according to the AHA. To improve your heart health and reduce your risk of a heart attack, try implementing these simple steps recommend by the AHA:
Talk to your doctor about your about your heart health. Your doctor can work with you to review your family and medical history and develop a plan to reduce your risk of heart disease and better your overall health.