Overview

• Dr. Chris Kelly, chair of cardiology at UNC Rex Hospital in North Carolina, highlighted chest pain, sudden breathlessness and abdominal pain with nausea as key heart attack indicators.
• Abdominal pain and nausea are often mistaken for other conditions but occur frequently in women experiencing heart attacks.
• Kelly stresses that delays in seeking treatment increase heart damage, noting that in cardiology “time is muscle.”
• The NHS recommends calling 999 immediately if a heart attack is suspected and advises chewing an aspirin to thin the blood while waiting for help.
• Healthcare guidance distinguishes angina from heart attacks by response to glyceryl trinitrate, advising emergency contact if symptoms persist after two doses.