Īlso, researchers have found that silent heart attacks are more common in older adults with diabetes. This may be due to women - and their doctors - not necessarily taking symptoms seriously enough, according to the American Heart Association.
While the Circulation study found that silent heart attacks were more common in men than women, it also found that women were more likely to die as a result of one. "It's critical to open up a blocked heart artery as soon as it's blocked so we're not in a situation where there's decreased blood flow and ultimately scar tissue that would impair somebody's ability to have normal heart function," Weinberg says. It increases your likelihood of another heart attack, as well as the potential for heart failure. And, a silent heart attack is just as dangerous as a traditional one. Heart attacks - both silent or traditional - occur when insufficient blood flows to the heart. And even though the symptoms may not feel severe, Weinberg says a silent heart attack is just as serious as any other heart attack. A traditional heart attack can have similar symptoms, but also often includes a sensation of pressure or pain in the chest, arms, neck, back, and/or jaw.įurthermore, the symptoms of a silent heart attack can easily be mistaken for something else, such as indigestion, a challenging workout, or even a toothache.
These include fatigue, heartburn, discomfort in the chest, back, or jaw, and shortness of breath, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). But often, there are a few mild symptoms that can be difficult to recognize. Nicole Weinberg, MD, a cardiologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center, says there can be situations where people have no symptoms with a silent heart attack. A 2015 study published in the journal Circulation of nearly 10,000 participants compared silent heart attacks and traditional ones, and found that silent heart attacks accounted for nearly half of all heart attacks.