Shortness of breath is a significant indicator of possible heart trouble. More than 1.1 million Americans suffer a heart attack each year, and 40 percent of them die. Half of those fatalities never make it to a hospital. Yet only 1 percent of heart-attack patients who reach the hospital within an hour will die from that heart attack. Cardiologists say that clot-busting medications and other treatments are most effective if started within an hour following a heart attack.
Most potential victims wait at least two hours before seeking help.
Men are more likely to feel chest pain, women are more likely to experience other signs such as shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea and light-headedness. About 10 percent of heart attacks occur with virtually no symptoms. Embarrassment or false alarm inhibits many from calling 911 or visiting the hospital. People should call 911 or otherwise get emergency medical help, because emergency medical technicians not only help get patients into the ER fast, but can also start medications and restart a heart en route. A study of almost 5,000 older adults living in four U.S. communities showed that more than half of those with heart failure had a little-understood form of the disorder that doctors know little about treating, report researchers in this week's American Journal of Cardiology.