Heart attack in men vs women - Here's what you need to know

General
1

Myocardial infarction is one of the leading causes of death and disease worldwide. Many measures have been taken to reduce the incidence and prevalence of this illness, one of them being creating awareness about the signs and symptoms so people can recognise them and seek out early interventions.

The stereotypical image of a heart attack is a man clutching his chest, with the warning signs usually labelled as chest pain that is radiating to the left shoulder and arm. However, did you know that women usually perceive the symptoms of a heart attack in a very different manner?

Mentioned below are the symptoms that women may experience during a heart attack

  1. Heartburn
  2. Chest discomfort
  3. Breathing difficulty
  4. Chest pain radiating to the stomach, neck, back or left arm

The main point to be kept in mind here is that women often have a higher tolerance to pain than men, so they may not always present with symptoms of severe pain. Recognising these symptoms in women is crucial for early diagnosis and may even prove to be life saving in some scenarios.

MBH/AB

2 Likes
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The studies conducted on most of the diseases were somewhat biased, women were underrepresented and male participants were enrolled in much larger proportions compared to females, therefore the syptoms which seem atypical in females are actually common and need to be publicized for public awareness.

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IMPORTANT INSIGHT INDEED! Truth is women’s heart attack signs whisper, so awareness need to be spoken louder and clearer.

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Heart attack is more common in men than in women, and this may be the reason for lower awareness of symptoms in women. Several biological factors such as estrogen and fat distribution, offers some protection against heart attacks in premenopausal women.