If you had a heart attack, would you know it when it happened? Most people would probably answer this question with a confident ‘yes’-- after all, common heart attack symptoms such as chest pain or tightness, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and arm pain are pretty hard to ignore. However, a study recently published in the journal Circulation suggests that a significant number of heart attacks don’t present some of the most common symptoms and can go undetected. And unfortunately, these so-called ‘silent’ heart attacks can be even more dangerous than heart attacks with traditional symptoms.
What Are Silent Heart Attacks?
A silent heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is reduced or cut off, just as in a heart attack with traditional symptoms. Silent heart attacks may be accompanied by certain symptoms, such as unusual fatigue or discomfort in the jaw, arms, or upper back, but many people minimize these symptoms or mistake them as the result of another condition.
According to the recent study, which included over 9,000 participants and focused on medical records from 1987-2013, over 45% of all heart attacks are ‘silent’. Based on data from the study, it appears that silent heart attacks occur more frequently in men but are more likely to be fatal in women.
Because many silent heart attacks are not diagnosed until a much later EKG, patients often do not get the timely treatment they need to prevent another dangerous cardiac event. In fact, the risk of dying from heart disease is three times greater for those who have experienced a silent heart attack than those who have experienced a heart attack with traditional symptoms.
Anatomy of a Heart Attack
How Are Silent Heart Attacks Treated?
Dr. Elsayed Z. Soliman, the lead author of the silent heart attack study, is hoping that this new evidence will lead to changes in healthcare guidelines for heart attack treatment. He says that once a silent heart attack is detected, doctors should treat their patient the same way they would if he or she had a heart attack with traditional symptoms. Patients should be counseled to reduce their risk for another heart attack through certain lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular exercise.
