Myocardial infarction does not manifest itself in the same way in men and women. This is why it is important that they listen to their body and take certain signs seriously.
- Around 80,000 myocardial infarctions are recorded each year in France.
- In women, sweating, nausea, dizziness, and unusual fatigue may indicate a heart attack.
- These “atypical” symptoms may occur more often at rest or during sleep.
In France, around 80,000 heart attacks are recorded per year. In recent years, more and more women are affected. And for good reason, taking contraceptive pills combined with smoking increases the risk of heart disease. Additionally, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle are factors that lead to blocked arteries over time. Age, diabetes, stress, depression, menopause, broken heart syndrome and pregnancy complications can also be responsible for the development of cardiac pathology in patients.
“It is important to first recognize the risk factors for heart disease and then address behaviors that may exacerbate this risk. (…) Certain factors play a greater role in the development of heart disease in women than what are considered traditional risks, such as high cholesterol, obesity and high blood pressure”, said Chatura Alurdoctor at the Mayo Clinic Health System, an American university and research hospital federation, in Mankato.
Fatigue, sweating, nausea: the “atypical” symptoms of a heart attack in women
In some patients, a heart attack can occur without prior symptoms. When signs are observed, they are described as “atypical” because they differ from those usually present in men. Indeed, unlike in male individuals, pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest is not always serious, nor even the most important symptom of myocardial infarction in women.
Recently, the Mayo Clinic reported that the manifestations of a heart attack are misinterpreted in women because they are often vague. Symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, back and jaw pain. Other patients experience dizziness, lower chest or upper abdominal pain, and extreme fatigue.
Sweating, nausea, dizziness, and unusual fatigue may not look like typical symptoms of a heart attack. However, they are common in women and can occur more often at rest or during sleep.
“We want patients to understand the importance of listening to their body”
“Many women tend to downplay their symptoms and not seek care until heart damage has already occurred and a trip to the emergency room becomes necessary. We want patients to understand the importance of listening their body, to understand what seems normal to them and to seek care before symptoms become severe.concluded Chatura Alur.
