• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

These symptoms, however, are typical for middle-aged men and not necessarily for women. According to a number of physicians, women are more likely to have the following symptoms:

• vague abdominal discomfort
• nausea and vomiting, fatigue
• shortness of breath (trouble catching your breath)
• arm and/or chest pain

Traditionally heart disease was thought of as a man's disease. Many women tend not to give it much thought. "It could never happen to me," some women say. Unfortunately, their thinking is wrong. Sometimes...dead wrong.

Each year, heart attacks claim the lives of some 530,000 men and women in the United States. Approximately one half of all fatal heart attacks (about 260,000) are sustained by women! Another 100,000 women die each year from stroke alone. On a larger scale, all heart and blood vessel diseases combined claim more than 512,000 women's lives annually. By comparison, less then 265,000 women perish each year from all forms of cancer.

It's important that you call 911 if you experience these symptoms, or recognize them in someone else. The sooner you take action with heart attack warning signs, the better your chances of reducing permanent heart muscle damage or even death.