A third of women wouldn't recognise they are suffering a heart attack because they would expect to experience crushing or severe chest pain (33%), a symptom which mainly affects men, according to survey results (1) released by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) on 999 Day - a drive to raise awareness of the need to call 999 at the first sign of a heart attack.

Worryingly the survey also showed that more than a third of women (35%) wouldn't call 999 if they were experiencing unusual chest pains for fear of being left red faced if it turned out not to be serious.

The results reflect official figures which confirm that women are more likely to put off dialling 999 waiting on average 24 minutes longer than men after first experiencing heart attack symptoms (2) - dramatically cutting their chances of survival.

Approximately 140 men and 110 women die every day from heart attacks. Around 90,000 people die from heart attacks every year. A third of people die before reaching hospital (3) often because they have waited too long to seek medical help which is why the BHF is reminding people today (09/09/09) to call 999 if they think they are having a heart attack.

Dr Mike Knapton, BHF Associate Medical Director, says "Every second counts when you are having a heart attack and calling 999 at the very first sign means you are much more likely to survive.

"Heart attack symptoms do affect people differently so it is vital that women - and men - familiarise themselves with them and use today's date to help them remember that by calling 999 they are giving themselves the best possible chance at surviving.

"There is no need to feel embarrassed about getting it wrong - saving your life is more important than saving face."

While the symptoms of a heart attack can vary from one person to another, women are more likely to experience 'unusual symptoms' like a dull pain, ache or 'heavy' feeling in the chest, a mild discomfort in the chest that makes you feel generally unwell, a pain in your chest that can spread to the back or stomach, a chest pain that feels like a bad episode of indigestion or feeling light-headed or dizzy as well as having chest pain.

The most common symptoms of a heart attack which both men and women experience include: central chest pain (a pain in the centre of the chest); a pain which can spread to the arms, neck and jaw; feeling sick or sweaty as well as having central chest pain; and/or feeling short of breath as well as having central chest pain.

Claire Jackson-Prior, 36, from Surrey knows from personal experience the importance of dialling 999 straightaway. She said: "I had a heart attack last year- I woke up feeling very hot and shaky. I had a tightness across my chest and I just couldn't get comfortable in bed.

"I had tingling in my left arm but even though I felt ill, I wasn't in agony. I knew something wasn't right but I didn't want to make a fuss and call 999 - I thought I would be embarrassed if it turned out to just be a panic attack or something like that. Instead I called NHS Direct who identified what was wrong and immediately sent an ambulance to my house.

"I was shocked that I'd had a heart attack. It wasn't how I imagined one to be, and as a young woman I didn't think it would be the kind of thing that would happen to me. If it happened again I would have no qualms about dialling 999 immediately and I would urge other women to do the same."

Heart attack information:

- A heart attack occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Most people who die do so in the first few minutes because of a cardiac arrest. Properly trained ambulance staff and first responders can deal with this life-threatening emergency and increase your chance of reaching the hospital in time to receive the necessary treatment to restore the blood supply to your heart.

- There are two reasons to call 999 immediately. One is because if you are having a heart attack, however severe the pain, you could have a cardiac arrest at any time, which means your heart stops pumping blood around your body. This is fatal without immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation.

- The other reason to call 999 is so you can get immediate treatment which aims to restore the blood supply to your heart muscle and improve your chance of survival. The longer your heart muscle is starved of oxygen, the greater the risk of permanent damage to your heart muscle - this damage is irreversible and can have a life-long impact on your health.

- There is evidence that the delay in seeking treatment for a heart attack directly correlates with death rates. Those who get treatment within 1-2 hours of the onset of symptoms are twice as likely to survive as those who get treatment within 4-6 hours. (The GUSTO investigators. An international randomised trial comparing four thrombolytic strategies for acute myocardial infarction. N Eng J Med 1993; 329:763-682 and/or Myocardial Infarction National Audit Project (MINAP)

Source
British Heart Foundation