Heart Attack Warning Signs: Different for Everyone

Like many people, Joanne Granberg of Branchburg considered severe chest pain to be a classic symptom of a heart attack. But when she experienced a heart attack several months ago, she learned that symptoms—if they appear at all—can be different for everyone.

Granberg describes her heart attack as “an overall strange feeling and nothing that I could pinpoint exactly.” While walking on her treadmill one day, she felt unusually tired and had a slight pain in her shoulders across her upper back. The next morning, she experienced the same pain along with heaviness in her upper chest. Suspecting she was having a heart attack, she asked her husband to bring her to the emergency room—and her instincts were right on. A few days later, Granberg underwent quadruple bypass surgery. If she had shrugged off that uncomfortable feeling, she might not be alive today.

“Having a heart attack wasn’t like it is portrayed on television or in the movies,” says Granberg. “Now I tell all of my women friends that it’s important to take any pain they have seriously.”

A first-time heart attack in women can be much more dangerous than in men. Thirty-nine percent of women will die within the first weeks after the attack, compared to 31 percent of men. Women are also more likely than men to have a second heart attack within the following few years. That’s why it’s important to know the risk factors for heart disease.

While age and other risk factors like gender, race and family history cannot be changed, women should be aware that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, little or no exercise and obesity can greatly increase their chances of having a heart attack. In addition, during and after menopause, a woman’s incidence of having a heart attack increases due to lower estrogen levels, says Granberg’s cardiologist, Chao-Tarng Cheng, MD.

When in doubt, don’t just accept not feeling well,” says Dr. Cheng. “Talk with your physician and ask questions.”

For Granberg, taking care of herself is now her number one priority. “Years ago, I might have dismissed a little pain. Now I know how important it is to be aware of your body and how you feel.”

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