Many women find that a heart attack doesn't hurt

Many women find that a heart attack doesn't hurt as much as they would expect

but that may not be a good thing.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in American women, killing far more each year than breast cancer. Here's some more news that may come as a surprise to some people: Many women don't have chest pain during a heart attack.

In a new study, researchers included more than one million people who went to the hospital with a heart attack. Forty-two percent of the women weren't having chest pain when they came to the hospital, compared to about 31 percent of the men. This difference was especially common in younger women. And younger women without chest pain were more likely to die in the hospital than younger men.

According to the researchers, people who don't feel chest pain when they're having a heart attack tend to wait longer before seeking help. And health care providers tend to treat them less aggressively. These other warning signs of a possible heart attack should prompt women to seek medical help immediately:

• Pressure in the chest
• Pain or discomfort in the arms, back, stomach, jaw, or neck
• Shortness of breath
• Lightheadedness or nausea
• And sweating.

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