Heart attacks can and do occur in young women. Unfortunately, this patient population has several strikes against it during a heart attack.

First, heart attacks are rare in young women. Symptoms that would normally draw attention may thus be overlooked. For example, a doctor may not place a heart attack high on the list of possible diagnoses in a woman with shortness breath and atypical chest discomfort. The same symptoms in an elderly male patient often prompt a heart attack as the leading diagnosis.

A second problem with diagnosis is that heart attacks in women are often associated with atypical symptoms. Women under 55 often expect chest pressure as the only symptom of a heart attack. Instead, symptoms can include shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, or sweating. A delay in treatment because the heart attack symptoms are unusual can be life threatening.