Health experts have issued a warning as two groups are at risk of a dangerous “silent” heart attack. As its name suggests, these heart attacks can occur with no telltale symptoms and might not be diagnosed until weeks, months or years later.
Writing for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), cardiologist Professor Tim Chico, explained that silent heart attacks are “common”. They make up around a third of all heart attacks, he said.
He said: “While some people cannot remember having symptoms, others will see a doctor because of toothache, back pain or generally feeling unwell, and, after investigations like ECGs (electrocardiograms) and blood tests, they’re found to have had a ‘silent’ heart attack.”
What makes them so dangerous is the fact that your treatment could be delayed as a result.
“This means you miss out on treatments that reduce damage to the heart and the risk of having another heart attack,” he continued. “The quicker you start these treatments, the more effective they are.
“Some people only discover they’ve had a silent heart attack after having another heart attack, which they may not have had if they’d got treatment the first time.” Prof Chico warned that some people are more at risk of silent heart attacks than others.
This includes:
- Elderly people – possibly because they live with symptoms that may, or may not, be related to heart problems
- People with diabetes – who may not feel chest pain because of nerve damage from their diabetes.
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Experts at the Cleveland Clinic say that a silent heart attack could make you feel like:
- You have the flu
- You have a sore muscle in your chest or upper back
- You have an ache in your jaw, arms or upper back
- You’re very tired
- You have indigestion
To lower your risk of a heart attack, Prof Chico added: “The key to preventing a heart attack is having a healthy lifestyle. If you’re at higher risk because of high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, talk to your doctor about treatment.”
A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, often by a blood clot. The most common symptoms of a heart attack can include:
- Chest pain – a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest
- Pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy
- Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- Sweating
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
- An overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)
- Coughing or wheezing
However, the NHS says: “While the most common symptom is chest pain, symptoms can vary from person to person. Some people may have other symptoms such as shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain without any chest pain.”
If you experience any signs of a heart attack, you should call 999. And if you are concerned about your heart health but it is not an emergency, you should speak to your GP.