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Heart Health
The danger of a "silent" heart attack
- By Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
Up to half of all heart attacks may go unrecognized — and they are linked to an increased risk of stroke.
Heart attacks don’t always cause the dramatic symptoms depicted on TV shows, which often show a middle-aged man clutching his chest in pain. Sometimes, the symptoms are far more subtle, such as unexplained fatigue and weakness, shortness of breath, or nausea (see "Is it a heart attack?").
When that happens, people don’t always realize they’ve experienced a heart attack. But these so-called silent heart attacks may be almost as concerning as heart attacks that are recognized and diagnosed right away. Now, new research affirms that suspicion (see "Silent heart attacks may signal a higher risk of future stroke").
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