Heart attack: The symptom that can appear 10 years before the attack

Heart attacks are one of the leading causes of sudden deaths. One moment you're going about your daily activities and the next thing you know, you're lying on the floor, battling severe pain in the chest, unable to move.

Often known as a 'silent killer', heart attacks often occur without a warning. However, a recent study suggests that a condition called angina pectoris can show up a decade before a heart attack. But what is angina pectoris?

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Angina pectoris is a symptom of coronary artery disease, which is often characterized by squeezing, pressure, heaviness, tightness or pain in the chest, as per the Mayo Clinic.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), there are 4 types of angina pectoris namely stable angina, unstable angina, microvascular angina and vasospastic or variant angina.

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A recent study published in the Journal of the AHA found that angina pectoris can take place 10 years before the occurrence of a heart attack. The research was assisted by NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands analysed GP, hospital, and death data from between 2002-2018, which involved over half a million adults with no prior history of chest pain or cardiovascular disease.

The findings revealed that patients with unattributed chest pain were at a 15% higher risk of a heart attack in the first year, with a continued increased risk over the 10 years following the first visit to the hospital.

It was also found that lipid-lowering medication was only given to 30% of patients with top risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

According to the researchers, those with unexplained chest pain and a high-risk profile should be given more attention so as to reduce the risk of heart attacks in the future.

At the time of the study publication, Professor Kelvin Jordan, project lead and Professor of Biostatistics at Keele University’s School of Medicine, said, “Chest pain is a common reason to go and see a GP. There are many potential causes of this pain and often patients do not receive a specific diagnosis."

"Our study suggests that these patients are more likely to have a future heart attack than patients given a non-cardiac reason for their chest pain.

“We now aim to identify common factors in patients who did go on to suffer a heart attack. This information will help GPs identify those patients with unexplained chest pain who are most at risk so they can be offered medication or further support at an earlier stage to reduce likelihood of a future heart attack," he added.

Professor Melanie Davies, Director of the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, further highlighted "This research points to a potential new route to identifying people with an increased risk of having a heart attack, so they can be targeted with bespoke prevention advice - collaborative research like this is crucial for NIHR's aim of delivering the best research for improved health for everyone."

According to the AHA, some of the warning signs of heart attack include:

- Chest discomfort

- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body

- Shortness of breath

- Nausea

- Cold sweats

- Dizziness or lightheadedness

Anxiety, coughing or wheezing can also be some of the signs of a heart attack.

Harvard Health Publishing states that burning chest pain that begins at the breastbone could be a sign of heartburn (GERD).

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes – or it may go away and then return. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

That said, while both conditions can trigger chest pain discomfort, it can be difficult to tell them apart.

That's when you must pay attention to other associated symptoms. Heartburn is often accompanied by a burning pain in the chest, a bitter or an acidic taste in the mouth, or pain that worsens while lying down or bending over.

Heart attack most often gives light to chest pain accompanied by radiating pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, arm, or shoulder along with shortness of breath.

However, if that is not enough to tell the two apart, get yourself diagnosed through tests and heart screenings.