A Danish study revealed that one-quarter of heart attack patients experience atypical symptoms, which decreases their likelihood of receiving emergency healthcare. These patients are also more likely to die within 30 days compared to those who present typical symptoms such as chest pain. Atypical heart attack symptoms include breathing difficulties, severe fatigue, and abdominal pain. The study's author, Amalie Lykkemark Møller, stated, "Atypical symptoms were more common among the elderly, who contacted the non-emergency helpline for medical assistance. This suggests that patients were not aware that their symptoms required urgent care."
During the study, researchers analyzed data related to heart attack calls to the medical helpline and emergency number in Denmark from 2014 to 2018. It was found that 72% of heart attacks presented typically as chest pain, while 24% of patients experienced atypical symptoms, mostly manifested as breathing problems. After accounting for factors that could affect the outcomes, including age, sex, education, diabetes, previous heart attacks, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, researchers estimated the 30-day mortality rates following a heart attack to be 4.3% for patients with atypical symptoms and 15.6% for those with typical symptoms. The results were published on May 6 in the European Heart Journal, as reported by UPI.
