Five quiet heart attack signs in women that are often dismissed as stress

Heart attacks do not always announce themselves with the dramatic, crushing chest pain that most people associate with a cardiac event.

In women particularly, the warning signs can be subtle, quiet and easily confused with common complaints such as tiredness, acidity, low stamina or everyday stress — and that is precisely what makes awareness so critical.

Because many early indicators appear entirely unrelated to the heart, they are frequently overlooked, and by the time a diagnosis is made, it can be too late.

Expert issues urgent advisory for women

Dr Vassily Eliopoulos, a longevity expert trained at Cornell University and co-founder and chief medical officer of Longevity Health, used his Instagram platform to issue a health advisory urging women to familiarise themselves with the lesser-known and frequently misunderstood signs of a heart attack.

His core message was that awareness empowers women to act swiftly rather than write off these symptoms as fatigue, acidity, stress or muscle pain.

Dr Eliopoulos underscored the gravity of the issue by pointing out that heart attacks claim more women's lives than all cancers combined — a striking statistic that highlights how dangerously underestimated this condition is among women.

Late detection, misreading of symptoms and outright misdiagnosis remain persistent problems, largely because the signs women experience often bear little resemblance to the textbook presentation.

The five signs women should never ignore

1. Unusual fatigue

Tiredness in women is frequently normalised — dismissed as the natural consequence of balancing work, home and daily responsibilities.

However, the fatigue linked to a heart attack is of an entirely different character. It can begin days or even weeks before a cardiac event occurs and does not respond to rest or food the way ordinary exhaustion does.

"Many women describe feeling exhausted by simple tasks that they used to do without even thinking about them," Dr Vass said.

Once effortless activities suddenly feel laborious. If a generally active woman finds herself overwhelmed by basic tasks, the doctor advises seeking medical attention rather than pushing through it.

2. Shortness of breath without chest pain

Dr Eliopoulos identified breathlessness as the second warning sign to watch for. Like unusual fatigue, it tends to surface during routine activities — climbing stairs or carrying shopping — and is commonly put down to poor fitness or stamina rather than anything cardiac in origin.

3. Pain in unexpected locations

Heart attack-related pain does not always centre on the chest. Women may instead feel discomfort in the jaw, neck, upper back or shoulders, frequently on the left side. The sensation can be misleading in nature.

"The pain can feel like a pulled muscle or tension headache that just does not go away," Dr Vass said.

Even when the root cause lies within the heart, the discomfort can manifest in entirely different parts of the body, making it easy to attribute to something far less serious.

4. Nausea and indigestion

Nausea, indigestion or discomfort in the upper abdomen are symptoms strongly associated with digestive complaints, which is why misdiagnosis is particularly common in this instance.

Dr Eliopoulos noted that women presenting with these symptoms are frequently diagnosed with heartburn — when in reality, such sensations may be early cardiac warning signs that warrant proper investigation.

5. Cold sweats and lightheadedness

Cold sweats and dizziness round out the five signs identified by Dr Eliopoulos. These symptoms are routinely attributed to weakness, dehydration or stress, but when they arise without any obvious cause — particularly in combination with any of the other signs listed above — medical attention should be sought without delay.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.