Heart attacks & women

Q My mother, who is 57 years old, active and health-conscious, had a heart attack, but she had none of the usual symptoms present before a person is stricken. She is doing fine now, but it concerns me that she had a heart attack without any of the classic symptoms. What should I know about this?

T.H., Denver

A Thankfully, your mother is doing fine after her heart attack. Unfortunately, some doctors still steadfastly associate heart disease with men, even though it is the single greatest health risk for women. That perception, doctors say, is due to the fact that some women's symptoms of heart disease or a heart attack are different from symptoms in men, but they are just as dangerous and should be attended to immediately.

What we have come to know as the classic heart attack symptoms--crushing chest pain or pain that radiates down an arm--are more common in men. Those symptoms can appear in women, but medical experts say women apparently have their own classic symptoms that shouldn't be overlooked--unusual fatigue, heart palpitations, pressure or pain in the upper abdomen, back pain or symptoms resembling indigestion.

Since heart disease presents itself differently in women than men, and is associated with her lifestyle, doctors strongly urge women to focus on key heart disease risk factors years before they reach menopause.

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