The silent killers of the heart attack: So long before you're threatened by death

Of the 474 American patients who went to the emergency room with a dangerous drop in blood flow into the heart muscle, those in whom their symptoms gradually occurred had six hours more than was recommended to call for help and reach the hospital, American doctors discovered.

They thought that because of the breakdown of blood flow in the heart muscle, heart cells begin to die, and the patient feels stronger or weaker pain in the chest. They, in turn, did not recognize these gradual symptoms or take them seriously, even though they were considering calling an ambulance.

In heart attacks, patients suffer very severe chest pains from the beginning. But the symptoms of a gradual attack may not indicate a heart attack, the authors of the study claim.

These are usually feelings of mild concern between the chest that lasts several minutes or disappears and then resurfaces, pain in one or both hands, in the back, in the neck, in the belly, intestine, and symptoms that you don't usually feel, such as sudden perspiration, inference, or inexplicable sense that everything will collapse.

The patients who experience a heart attack should not think that the symptoms they feel are actually a false alarm,” said Sahh Mirzaei, who is also author of the study.

“Call first aid and go to the emergency room as soon as possible”, she orders.

The authors analyzed information on patients who participated in a larger study. The results of their analysis focused on 343 men and 131 women, from 29 to 93 years old.

Because of health problems, they were admitted to the emergency department in the nearest hospitals and were later confirmed that they had acute coronary syndrome a sudden drop in blood flow into the heart muscle.

About half of those surveyed, about 44 percent, reported gradual symptoms of heart attack, while others reported unexpectedly. Interestingly, half the respondents took four hours or more to call ambulance service.

The apic attack on the heart was more frequent on younger patients, ages 35 to 40 or older, as well as on diabetes patients, especially women.