In Both Women and Men, Evaluate All Possible Heart Attack Symptoms Promptly

Although women were less likely than men to report heart-attack–related chest pain, most women with acute coronary syndrome experienced this symptom.

Prompt and accurate assessment of acute coronary symptoms, albeit key to lifesaving intervention, remains challenging for patients and providers alike. Women might be advised that their symptoms during heart attack or acute coronary syndrome (ACS) might differ from those of men, but no consistent message has been widely promulgated. In a review of 69 studies on the presentation of ACS, investigators sought to describe symptoms in men and women and to determine whether sex differences warrant distinct educational messages.

Large cohort studies as well as small reports based on personal interviews consistently showed that one quarter to one third of ACS patients reported no chest pain or discomfort. More women than men reported no chest pain (…

Author

Marian C. Limacher, MD