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Many ignore them for days: Cardiologists identify four early warning signs before a heart attack

From Veฤernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Cardiologists warn that chest discomfort, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, nausea and fatigue can precede a heart attack, sometimes by days or weeks.
  • Symptoms may be subtle and can include pressure, tightness, pain spreading to the neck, shoulder, arm or jaw, and numbness.
  • Croatian health data cited in the article show cardiovascular disease caused 22,303 deaths in 2022, or 39.1% of all deaths in the country.

The early signs of a heart attack may be subtle enough to ignore, appearing days or even weeks before the event. Cardiologists say recognising them and seeking medical help promptly can save lives.

Chest discomfort is one key warning sign. Dr Roger Blumenthal, director of the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, says angina can result from the gradual buildup of plaque in the arteries and may signal that a heart attack could occur in the following days. The sensation does not always feel like classic pain. It may feel like pressure, tightness or general discomfort.

"Sometimes angina is synonymous with pain or pressure in the chest, but sometimes, especially in older people, other related symptoms can occur, such as pain that radiates through the neck, shoulder or arm," Blumenthal said. Dr Abha Khandelwal, a clinical associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford Health Care, added that numbness can extend up to the jaw.

Sometimes angina is synonymous with pain or pressure in the chest, but sometimes, especially in older people, other related symptoms can occur, such as pain that radiates through the neck, shoulder or arm.

· Roger BlumenthalThe cardiologist described how angina and related pain can present before a heart attack.

Shortness of breath can also be a warning. Some people notice that ordinary tasks leave them more breathless than usual. Khandelwal said numbness in an arm or chest discomfort may follow more strenuous effort. Dr Nikhil Sikand, a cardiologist with Yale Medicine, identified abdominal pain, nausea and general fatigue as other possible warning signs, while stressing that symptoms vary. "Some patients may have mild or no symptoms," he said.

The article cites cardiovascular disease as the world's leading cause of death and says Croatia faces the same problem. Data from the Croatian Institute of Public Health show that cardiovascular diseases caused 22,303 deaths in Croatia in 2022, representing 39.1% of all deaths. The article also says research has found warning signs in more than half of cases can appear a month before a heart attack.

Some patients may have mild or no symptoms.

· Nikhil SikandThe Yale Medicine cardiologist cautioned that not every patient experiences clear warning signs.
About this summary

Originally published by Veฤernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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