Heart attack

Sanjeevani is 63 years old. For the past few weeks, she has been feeling unusually tired, and has been having what she thinks is indigestion. Today, she has developed tightness across her chest and is feeling breathless. Sarah is 54 years old. She has just returned from a trip and is feeling very short of breath. She has pain going up the left side of her neck and along her jaw. Both Sanjeevani and Sarah need immediate medical attention. They could be having a heart attack.

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack is known in medical terms as a myocardial infarction. The heart has blood vessels running along its surface, known as coronary arteries which supply blood to the muscle of the heart. A heart attack occurs when one of the coronary arteries becomes severely or totally blocked by a clot and the heart muscle gets damaged.

Women are at greater risk

Contrary to popular belief, women are more at risk for heart attacks than men. Compared to men, women are usually about 10 years older at the time of their first attack. Diagnosing heart attacks becomes more difficult in women because women tend to have less typical symptoms. All over the world, it has been shown that doctors tend to misinterpret women’s symptoms and have a harder time diagnosing a heart attack in women.

Heart attacks are deadlier in women at any age than they are in men. Women are more likely to die within a year after their first heart attack.