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Silent Heart Attacks Affect 200,000 People A Year

A feature article by CNN News reveals shocking statistics about silent heart attacks - which are not only dangerous, but also difficult for physicians to diagnose. The story reports on a new study conducted by Duke University Medical Center that found that silent heart attacks might be affecting 200,000 people per year across the country - and that 4 million Americans could have had heart attacks without knowing it.

What is a silent heart attack? While "Hollywood" heart attacks are often dramatic chest-clutching moments of trauma, silent heart attacks can easily be overlooked or misdiagnosed. Silent heart attacks could feel like pain in our arm, chest, or jaw paired with fatigue and shortness of breath. Many women also feel nausea or lightheadedness. Many do not feel pain.

In the most recent study, 185 people with heart disease were tracked for two years. Over that time, 35 percent had heart attacks - and three times more silent heart attacks were found than heart attacks with traditional symptoms. The silent heart attacks were found with new technology called delayed-enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

The treatment for silent heart attacks is the same for traditional heart attacks - meaning that it is just as important to treat silent heart attacks even if they seem milder than more dramatic attacks. Not treating a silent heart attack leads to a 17-times higher risk of dying from a heart-related problems - and a higher chance of dying from other health problems.

Risk factors for silent heart attacks are also the same as regular heart attacks, including diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, a family history of heart trouble, and high cholesterol.

Anyone who thinks that they have experienced a heart attack should go to an emergency room immediately.

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