Women Less Likely to Seek Treatment for Heart Attack

A new study shows that women are likely to delay treatment for heart attacks. In fact, many never make it to the hospital. This may be partly due to the fact that women seldom have the classic heart attack symptoms. Instead of chest pains, most women experience shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, light-headedness, and back and jaw pain. Of those women who do experience chest pains and pressure, they may be inclined to not take their symptoms seriously. Patients who don't experience the classic chest pain symptom, such as women below 55, are more than twice as likely to die. In lieu of this indicator, women who experience sudden and extreme fatigue should be mindful that they are danger of having a heart attack. Doctors also recommend keeping a close eye on blood pressure and cholesterol levels.